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| Ann West of Nashville loves her Chickering grand! |
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I've heard some incredible stories over the years. Did you know that once you get your piano tuned, if you have the tuning pins welded in place, you'll never have to tune it again? Well, of course that's untrue, but there have been reports from all over the country of people who believe that to be true.
I wish I had saved a copy of a ditto sheet (that's what we had before Xerox copies, kids) that I once found in an old upright in New York. It described how, by covering the entire back of the piano with a plastic sheet, and putting a jar of water and a light bulb inside the piano, you would never again have to have it tuned. Nice try, but again, false.
Humidity is, however, the single largest contributing factor to tuning instability. The humidity can be controlled by a whole house or room system, or a system made by the Dampp-Chaser Corporation. This system is designed to fit inside almost any piano, and will keep the humidity at the ideal level of 42%. Your piano tech will know where to get one and how to install it.
How about the inside wall theory? You know, "don't put the piano on an outside wall, always put it on an inside wall, or it won't hold tune." Maybe 100 years ago, when walls weren't insulated as well as they are today, that might have been true. Put the piano on any wall you wish, just try to avoid nearby heating/cooling vents, rooms with wood stoves or fireplaces, or generally any location where there is a lot of fluctuation in the humidity level.
Questions? Sam@SamLewisPiano.com
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