Tuning overdamper pianos is no problem at all, using a few simple
techniques. The temperament strip is inserted below the hammer strike
line after the action is tipped back to get access.
Tuning the unisons later is done by inserting a Papps mute between the
damper wires, also below the hammers. You can pluck the strings with
the tip of the mute to tell where you are. It is a little like tuning
blind, but hey, piano tuning has always been (and remains today) a
profession taken up by visually impaired folks. You don't really need
your eyes as much as your ears.
Access to the strings is not the problem with tuning overdamper pianos;
it's usually the loose tuning pins, unless you come across a decent
example.
Jurgen Goering
Vancouver Island, Canada
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