Thanks, Larry, for using a word which I have never encountered before. Won't probably help me in Scrabble, but the science behind it is fascinating, and very valuable to piano tuners. I'm convinced I've been fortunate to have avoided the frozen shoulders, carpel tunnel and tendonitis which has sidelined many in our field, simply by tuning in to the early discomfort "feedback" and making the necessary adjustments to alleviate emerging pain.
While I'm piping in, I'll add that my experience requires me to take exception to the oft-repeated notion that left-handed upright tuning is somehow superior, just as type of tool used (impact, ball end, graphite, what-have-you). We can each find our own truth regarding hammer technique, etc., but for the sake of any newbies who might be following this thread, I would push back on any notion that you can't properly settle a string/pin with your right hand.
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Brian Mott
Madison WI
608-246-0506
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-04-2021 12:42
From: Larry Messerly
Subject: tuning left handed with impact hammers
Randy, proprioception will help find the next pin if you focus your attention on it before you leave the one you're on.
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Larry Messerly, RPT
Bringing Harmony to Homes
www.lacrossepianotuning.com
ljmesserly@gmail.com
928-899-7292
Original Message:
Sent: 01-04-2021 10:34
From: Randy Prentice
Subject: tuning left handed with impact hammers
Being a card-carrying lefty, I have found the impact tuning hammer to be beneficial. It takes me a little bit longer, but the trade off is better stability. It also works nicely for soft tuning pins that have no 'click' in them. The caveat for me, is visibility of the tuning pins which is sometimes blocked by the wrist. Extra care is required in that regard. I sometimes use a headlamp, if room lighting is insufficient.
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Randy Prentice RPT
Tucson AZ
520-749-3788
Original Message:
Sent: 01-03-2021 10:37
From: Harry Miller
Subject: tuning left handed with impact hammers
I don't have many strings break as it is, so it would take a lot of tunings with the new lever for me to verify any dramatic change. A few years back, I took a survey of my own work covering about 1200 pianos tuned - mostly in homes - and came up with an overall breakage rate of about 4%, the vast majority of which involved only one string. The rate did go up with pianos over 80 years old. Most breaks can be spliced in about 15 minutes. I've considered an impact lever in the past, but the leaning curve, the $$$ and the extra load on my wrist scared me off.
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Harry Miller
RPT
Lawrence KS
785-832-2443
Original Message:
Sent: 01-02-2021 09:17
From: Greg Junker
Subject: tuning left handed with impact hammers
Happy New Year to all! I have thoroughly enjoyed the input and technical support over the years from many of you. Since I have started tuning left handed on verticals with impact tuning hammers, I have noticed a dramatic decrease in string breakage. In 2020, for the first time in over 3 decades, I have tuned just under 1,000 pianos, since church and school tunings have decreased. Since the home piano has once again become popular, around 10 percent of these pianos were just purchased or gotten free off of social media sites. Of course, they have gone for 10 to 20 years without tunings. This being said, I have had very little string breakage with pitch raises, even with the cheaply made spinets of the 1970s. Have any of you noticed this benefit from impact hammers, especially using the left hand?
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Greg Junker
Owner
Belleville IL
618-971-9595
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