Pianotech

  • 1.  Tuning survival of lockdown pianos

    Posted 08-23-2021 10:22
    Yesterday I visited a Steinway M which I tune in the South of France which survived a year since last tuning and a move from apartment to aparment . . . 
    Stability of unequal temperament piano tuning after over a year - Steinway M
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    Stability of unequal temperament piano tuning after over a year - Steinway M
    Skip to 3:56 if you like to escape the boring bit . . . I normally expect excellent stability of pianos after I have tuned them two or three times but the ex...
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    and thought I had reason to be pleasantly surprised. After this I tidied up the mid and treble at 439.3 but didn't go down into the bass as it was regularly slightly sharp so probably at 440. As the tidying up was between courses of lunch . . . and it sounded "good enough" for a friend who enjoys his piano played by friends but doesn't play much himself I left the bass as it was . . . A concert pianist friend is coming from Genoa at the end of the week so I might do the full tuning for him . . . 

    Has anyone else got examples of lockdown pianos to share?

    Here's another from last year in the middle of lockdown - 
    Schubert Impromptu in Ab major D899 High Definition Tuning Steinway

    Best wishes

    David P

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    David Pinnegar BSc ARCS
    Hammerwood Park, East Grinstead, Sussex, UK
    +44 1342 850594
    "High Definition" Tuning
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  • 2.  RE: Tuning survival of lockdown pianos

    Member
    Posted 08-23-2021 11:04
    Plenty of examples of lockdown pianos and other pianos with long periods between tunings. Stability is affected by many things including the condition of the piano, brand, quality and frequency of past work, usage and environmental conditions. It would be interesting to know what the environmental conditions are that this piano was in - that is to say the outside weather/humidity/temperature as well as indoor readings. I have no idea what Southern France is like but here in South Carolina we have some pretty extreme environmental conditions especially in summer. Humidity is a big challenge but also the presence of ocean salt air, hurricanes, periods of wet weather, oppressive humidity and heat indexes. In the last month  have encountered several pianos I had not tuned in over a year yet all where dead on A440 or a fraction off. I have a SAT IV and a SAT III so I can check them against each other if I feel it is warranted. The SATIII was recently serviced and calibrated at Inventronics with a new battery, blue LED lights added. I tuned a Chas M Stieff studio that had been last tuned 5 years ago in Maryland , built in 1929 yet it was dead on A440.

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    James Kelly
    Owner- Fur Elise Piano Service
    Pawleys Island SC
    843-325-4357
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Tuning survival of lockdown pianos

    Posted 08-26-2021 20:31
    Today a Steinway A, last visited 2 1/2 years ago - https://youtu.be/l9OAGhzfoKA

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    David Pinnegar, B.Sc., A.R.C.S.
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    +44 1342 850594



    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Tuning survival of lockdown pianos

    Posted 09-03-2021 15:33
    https://youtu.be/R56MxoGL4ik is an upright which I revisited after two years. Dropped to around A=433. If you want to escape the boring bits just go to https://youtu.be/R56MxoGL4ik?t=241 and see the reaction of the pianist.

    The reason why I've been doing these videos is to encourage some in the trade to up their game, and for customers to raise expectations. In the UK and Alderney I'm fed-up of coming to an instrument where someone has said "I had it tuned 6 (or) 9 months ago" and I find it terrible. One such instrument in East Grinstead, Sussex, had been "tuned" by someone who'd come and spent 40 minutes and gone away, charging the customer, and I came to find it not only hideous but a semitone down to-boot.

    On a big pitch raise, perhaps some do it faster, but I take four hours and charge accordingly.

    I'm beginning not to be embarrassed at charging highly. People can go to someone else who charges less if they like, but I go away doing a job conscientiously rather than commercially.

    Best wishes

    David P

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    David Pinnegar, B.Sc., A.R.C.S.
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    +44 1342 850594



    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Tuning survival of lockdown pianos

    Posted 10-10-2021 16:11
    Here's an instrument I visited yesterday after three years - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wm90x_Kb20

    The bass was a little sharp and the top a little flat.

    It's one of the last made by Kemble before being taken over by Yamaha

    Best wishes

    David P

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    David Pinnegar, B.Sc., A.R.C.S.
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    +44 1342 850594



    Original Message