Tuning trichords

General discussion about piano makes, problems with pianos, or just seeking advice.

Moderators: Feg, Gill the Piano, Melodytune

Post Reply
Brumtuner
Persistent Poster
Persistent Poster
Posts: 148
Joined: 08 Feb 2008, 18:09

Tuning trichords

Post by Brumtuner »

Whilst doing the trichords, even when laying the scale, I always tune the right hand string first because I tend to find that they are purer in tone than the left hand string. Oddly enough, I found out that my old man used to do the same too!

So...... why are the (usually) left hand strings falser than the right hand strings?
Barrie Heaton
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 3603
Joined: 30 May 2003, 20:42
Location: Lanc's
Contact:

Post by Barrie Heaton »

The left hand string is a tad longer than the right on older pianos you may have noticed on pianos that are tuned 4 times a year that is always the left had one that goes in the winter and the right hand one in summer if the octave is in

it could be also that more tuners wedge the left string more and mark it making it falser as it tends to show more on older pianos



Barrie,
Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page
PianoGuy
Executive Poster
Executive Poster
Posts: 1689
Joined: 21 May 2005, 18:29

Post by PianoGuy »

Aye, Barrie's right. There's a shorter dead length between the pressure bar and the wrestpin on the RH string, so it makes that the most stable string to tune because you're not losing effort in stretching a long length of wire before the speaking length.

Never noticed less falseness though.
Brumtuner
Persistent Poster
Persistent Poster
Posts: 148
Joined: 08 Feb 2008, 18:09

Post by Brumtuner »

I can't believe that tuners could falsen* a string by their 100 or so visits/Papps-clicks when they get a good hammering anyway, in normal use.

I take your point on the slightly longer string but I was more on about the (lack of) purity of that single string as opposed to the 'out-of-tuneness' of it.


*New word. :wink:
Barrie Heaton
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 3603
Joined: 30 May 2003, 20:42
Location: Lanc's
Contact:

Post by Barrie Heaton »

Brumtuner wrote:I can't believe that tuners could falsen* a string by their 100 or so visits/Papps-clicks when they get a good hammering anyway, in normal use.
The hammers are direct hit the wedge is sliding and if the string is tarnished more friction but that is not happening on grands as we tend to use rubber or felt not as hard as a Papps unless you have one of the old white one left

Like you I back wedge and do the left hand string first even on grands

Barrie,
Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page
User avatar
sussexpianos
Persistent Poster
Persistent Poster
Posts: 363
Joined: 19 Aug 2006, 17:01
Location: East Sussex
Contact:

Post by sussexpianos »

I always back wedge except for overdampers ( birdcage)
vernon
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 914
Joined: 12 Mar 2008, 10:29
Location: N.E.Scotland
Contact:

Post by vernon »

In the case of falseness I always go for the third string which generally seems less false. Goodness knows why. Incidentally, I have an old white Papps wedge but also a wooden one!
vernon
Brumtuner
Persistent Poster
Persistent Poster
Posts: 148
Joined: 08 Feb 2008, 18:09

Post by Brumtuner »

"I always go for the third string which generally seems less false. Goodness knows why."

I'm not alone then.
User avatar
sussexpianos
Persistent Poster
Persistent Poster
Posts: 363
Joined: 19 Aug 2006, 17:01
Location: East Sussex
Contact:

Post by sussexpianos »

been reading some books on fine concert tuning and they say you should tune 2 of the 3 strings before checking to see if the octave is correct due to inharmicity ( or something like that). Tune the first string slightly sharp and then the next string and see if its correct. This is why you don't use a multing strip.
I think it would take me a while to tune a piano :)
Post Reply