[AT] Tuning tractors with pianos.... LOL

Landen Schooler skoullar at ix.netcom.com
Thu Feb 9 08:16:08 PST 2006


But...No matter how good you are at tuning....
none of you guys can tune a fish........


Landen Schooler
Palmyra, Iowa
;-)

Grant Brians wrote:

> Larry, I like the comment about the tuning of a tractor. I should have 
> you tune all our gas tractors for me....
>        Grant Brians
>        Hollister, California
> p.s. Our weather is REALLY nice! LOL.
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Larry D. Goss" <rlgoss at evansville.net>
> To: "'Antique tractor email discussion group'" 
> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Monday, February 06, 2006 9:53 PM
> Subject: RE: [AT] OT - using pitchfork
> 
> 
>> No, you didn't play the Ampico.  I just stood beside it and drooled for
>> a while and then crawled around under it to look at the sound board and
>> frame.  For the tractor-oriented audience, that's comparable to "kickin'
>> tires" without hearing the engine run.
>>
>> Tuning the Kimball to 440 probably enhanced the overtones and gave it
>> more brilliance.  That 5 hertz probably makes less than a 1000-pound
>> difference on the load on the harp -- literally.  When you're looking at
>> a total of 20 tons for all the strings together, that's only about 2.0%
>> to 2.5% increase.  I regularly have to increase the tension on a whole
>> piano more than that just to get it back to where it was the last time I
>> tuned it.
>>
>> Back in the 70's when I first started tuning, I got in a discussion with
>> one of the vice-president's of the university about transfer of learning
>> skills and I told him that I had to listen for exactly the same
>> undertone beats when I tune a tractor engine as I listen for when I tune
>> a piano.  The comment caught him completely off-guard because he had no
>> idea that there were any similarities.
>>
>> Larry
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
>> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of George Willer
>> Sent: Monday, February 06, 2006 10:41 PM
>> To: 'Antique tractor email discussion group'
>> Subject: RE: [AT] OT - using pitchfork
>>
>> Larry,
>>
>> I'm not really sure due to CRS, but I think my 1916 Kimball was
>> originally
>> tuned to A-435.  When I rebuilt it I tuned it to A-440.  It's probably
>> way
>> off from correct, but it is, after all a honky tonk piano that sounds
>> good
>> to me when the added mandolin rail is used.  :-)  The Fischer-Ampico is
>> quite another matter.  It's tuning is long overdue. Did I play it when
>> you
>> were here?
>>
>> George Willer
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com [mailto:at-
>>> bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Larry D. Goss
>>> Sent: Monday, February 06, 2006 10:22 PM
>>> To: 'Antique tractor email discussion group'
>>> Subject: RE: [AT] OT - using pitchfork
>>>
>>> Once a piano goes "out" significantly, it takes several tunings over
>>> time to get it back in tune so it will stay.  Typically, four tunings
>>> over a two-year period will do it provided that it is located in an
>>> occupied house (so heat and humidity are reasonably constant) and not
>>> located in direct sunlight or against an outside wall.  Most people
>>
>> just
>>
>>> won't put out that much money to put a 100-year old piano back in
>>
>> shape.
>>
>>> Chickerings were good, but...  I warn customers ahead of time that if
>>> the piano is too far out of tune, all I can hope for is to make it
>>> better.  But when I'm done, there will still be some inaccuracies in
>>
>> the
>>
>>> tuning. I try to bring the whole piano "up" at once, but the harp will
>>> still warp during the tuning process and cause notes that have already
>>> been tuned to go flat.
>>>
>>> Old pianos have a tendency to get corrosion on the strings, and that
>>> really affects the tone.  I can polish the trebles (triple-string
>>
>> notes)
>>
>>> but there is nothing short of replacing the copper-wound bass strings
>>
>> to
>>
>>> bring their response back to original.  The oxide that builds up on
>>
>> them
>>
>>> causes a loss of overtones and that makes the whole bass end sound
>>> muddy.  It has the same effect as when the drummer for a rock band
>>
>> fills
>>
>>> his bass drum with terry towels from the bathroom.  That changes a
>>
>> tuned
>>
>>> bass into a dull thud.
>>>
>>> Some tuners take the easy way out and just put an old piano back in
>>
>> tune
>>
>>> with itself rather than try to bring it up to pitch.  That's also
>>> guaranteed to leave an unhappy customer because the overtones on the
>>> whole keyboard that give a piano its brilliance just won't be there.
>>>
>>> Enough already.  This is more than you really wanted to know about
>>
>> piano
>>
>>> tuning.
>>>
>>> Larry
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
>>> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Mike Sloane
>>> Sent: Monday, February 06, 2006 5:40 PM
>>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
>>> Subject: Re: [AT] OT - using pitchfork
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Larry D. Goss wrote:
>>> > Tuning pin tightener.
>>> >
>>> > FWIW, this is a common problem in pianos.  Tuning pins are only held
>>> in
>>> > by friction and when the maple dries out over time they loosen up
>>
>> and
>>
>>> > the piano will no longer hold its tune.  There is a product made to
>>> > solve the problem.  It's called Tuning Pin Tightener.  Anybody can
>>> make
>>> > it though; it's a 50/50 mixture of alcohol and glycerin.  I use
>>
>> Solox
>>
>>> > for the alcohol, but any source will do.
>>> We had an antique Chickoring upright with that problem, and that is
>>
>> how
>>
>>> the tuner fixed things. But it still wouldn't hold the tune. We had a
>>> hard time finding a home for that instrument, even giving it away. It
>>> must have weighed close to 1000 lbs and took 4 very big guys to move
>>
>> it.
>>
>>> >
>>> > If you have a really large gap in the handle, then apply some
>>
>> Gorilla
>>
>>> > Glue to the application before you insert the tang in the hole.
>>
>> This
>>
>>> is
>>> > an expanding weatherproof glue that can be used to reconstruct wood
>>> > after it has been miss cut.  The more it's constrained while it's
>>> > setting, the more dense the resulting joint.  Available at Home
>>
>> Depot
>>
>>> > and other such places.
>>> Yes, Gorilla glue is great stuff, but once you put it on a handle, you
>>> will never get it off if the handle breaks. Also, use rubber gloves
>>
>> when
>>
>>>
>>> working with the stuff, or it will turn your fingers black where it
>>> sits. (Don't ask me how I know this!)
>>>
>>> Mike
>>> >
>>> > Larry
>>> >
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> Mike Sloane
>>> Allamuchy NJ
>>> mikesloane at verizon.net
>>> Website: <www.geocities.com/mikesloane>
>>> Images: <www.fotki.com/mikesloane>
>>>
>>> Truth is not only violated by falsehood; it may be equally outraged by
>>> silence.  -Henri Frederic Amiel philosopher and writer (1821-1881)
>>>
>>>
>>> -- 
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>>
>> 2/4/2006
>>
>>>
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