Pianotech

  • 1.  Baldwin Tuning Pin Weirdness

    Posted 10-11-2019 07:06
    I have a customer with a 9-foot Baldwin D in his living room. I think this model is perhaps the predecessor to the later SD-10 (is that correct?). It is equipped with the not-common forward string termination inserts (under the capo bar) in the two treble sections that Baldwin used for a while (picture below).

    I'll try to describe the unusual tuning pin movement I encountered. The two treble sections were about 2 to 5 cents flat. First I would drop the pitch a tiny bit to break any bond the string had made with metal is rests on and then bring the string up to my target pitch. Being that this Baldwin was not a Yamaha, I would bring the pitch just a cent or two sharp of my target pitch. Then, as is usual, I would attempt to lower the pitch down to target by reversing the rotation direction of my tuning lever. However, on many of the strings, when I make the movement to lower pitch, the pitch would actually go sharp about 5 cents! Holy cow-cookies, that really makes this little beast difficult to tune!!!

    Anyone else had the same experience? Anyone care to venture an explanation?

    Gosh I love tuning Yamahas. IMHO, they have the very best string rendering I have encountered.

    Oh, and FWIW, this piano (probably 40 years old or so) has the most beautiful ivory keyboard. I was thinking as I was tuning it, that all those crusty old uprights that I've seen with their derelict keyboards, had beautiful ivory keytops 90+ years ago.......

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    Terry Farrell
    Farrell Piano Service, Inc.
    Brandon, Florida
    terry@farrellpiano.com
    813-684-3505
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  • 2.  RE: Baldwin Tuning Pin Weirdness

    Member
    Posted 10-13-2019 11:36
    Jim Coleman, in a class I took, said the pin in an upright, as you pull it sharp, it climbs the side of the hole, making it go sharper and settling weird. A grand would be the opposite. 
    The hole is oval. As you pull, it rotates deeper into the slot. Then climbs back out as you settle the pin.
    Placing the hammer at 3 o'clock would tend to counter the action. Holes that have been wallowed out make it hard to tune. I find the CA glue treatment really helps the ease of tuning and the tonal presence.

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    Keith Roberts
    owner
    Hathaway Pines CA
    209-770-4312
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  • 3.  RE: Baldwin Tuning Pin Weirdness

    Posted 10-13-2019 16:53
    Keith R. wrote: "The hole is oval. As you pull, it rotates deeper into the slot. Then climbs back out as you settle the pin.
    Placing the hammer at 3 o'clock would tend to counter the action. Holes that have been wallowed out make it hard to tune. I find the CA glue treatment really helps the ease of tuning and the tonal presence."

    This piano is in very good condition. The pins are nice and tight. The holes are not oval nor are they wallowed out (whatever that means). The issue here is that this piano tunes, up in the capo section, unlike any piano I have ever tuned before. This is not a worn tuning pin hole issue.

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    Terry Farrell
    Farrell Piano Service, Inc.
    Brandon, Florida
    terry@farrellpiano.com
    813-684-3505
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  • 4.  RE: Baldwin Tuning Pin Weirdness

    Posted 10-13-2019 17:51
    Those "buzzinators"  create serious off the deep-end friction. As you pull on the lever and listen to the pitch raise, what is actually happening, because of the ungodly friction, is that the pitch is actually lagging way behind the tension than you have already installed in the segment between friction point and pin.  The pitch feedback you are receiving is bullshnakey...you can't trust it at all. The tension in the front segment is actually higher than you think, and, you have no way to know exactly what that front segment tension is. A real pain in the ass.

    I wouldn't drop the string initially. Reason being, that as an aged tuning, the string segments have already reached equilibrium. You know where this equilibrium is. I would read the screen, decide whether the pin needs to rotated up or down, and move the pin a guesstimated amount...then flex the pin to place the pitch where it needs to be. This high friction guesstimating can actually work pretty good, but the testing we usually do will be counterproductive with this level of crazy friction.

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    Jim Ialeggio
    grandpianosolutions.com
    Shirley, MA
    978 425-9026
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