notes go out of tune upwards

[johnfrance]

Hello. I have been given a 1960s Schindler piano which has quite a nice sound and feel when tuned. My tuner says its a well made instrument and worth keeping and that the tuning pegs are firm. However, after four tunings within a year it still slips slightly out of tune, enough to make playing really unconfortable, within a month or two. Humidity is fairly stable ranging from 45 to 55, but possibly with micro variations as its ground floor and not far from the bathroom... . After testing with an electronic tuner, it seems that the notes in the middle range go up. Could there be any rational explanation for this ? Many thanks for any advice.

[Barrie Heaton]

Hello. I have been given a 1960s Schindler piano which has quite a nice sound and feel when tuned. My tuner says its a well made instrument and worth keeping and that the tuning pegs are firm. However, after four tunings within a year it still slips slightly out of tune, enough to make playing really unconfortable, within a month or two. Humidity is fairly stable ranging from 45 to 55, but possibly with micro variations as its ground floor and not far from the bathroom... . After testing with an electronic tuner, it seems that the notes in the middle range go up. Could there be any rational explanation for this ? Many thanks for any advice.

if the notes in the middle is going up then it humidity from the bathroom
Options:

Move piano,
stop using the bathroom
fit a piano life saver

Barrie,

[pintwister]

The first few notes on the treble bridge are more affected by the changes in humidity because there is less pressure from adjacent notes to stabalize them.
You will also notice that during cold weather when your heat is running constantly, the pitch will drop more in this section also.

[chrisvenables]

As Barrie and pintwister say, a little extra humidity can sharpen up the mid section. All pianos go sharp in the summer as indoor humidity levels rise. Strange though that this is happening at around 50% rh which is a very reasonable level. Is it a digital humidity gauge? If not, recalibrate it.

[joe]

Up in the north we find pianos go sharp due to cold and dampness and flat when there is excess heat around ,very much down to how good instruments is,and where its located in house,near a bathroom,outside wall,front door are not ideal placements.Schindler must be a nice piano to play "Liszt" on.

[NewAge]

Schindler must be a nice piano to play "Liszt" on.

Nice one Joe!

[johnfrance]

many thanks for your replies - will continue playing List... (and perhaps move the bathroom...)
I've noticed the soundboard is connected to one of the back ribs by a screw (I think they are usually glued ?) I wondered if that could that have anything to do with the tuning problem...

[vernon]

SOUNDS UNUSUAL

[markymark]

I'm not a techician or tuner but I would have thought that the screw in the soundboard (which does seem weird by the way) would have had a more serious impact on the tone of the piano. The soundboard is one of the most important parts of the piano that can be totally ruined if it gets damaged or split. Screwing into it sounds like someone didn't know what they were doing because it's bound to affect the natural resonance of the sound board.

I agree with Barrie in that the humidity, most likely coming from your bathroom, is causing the wood to expand/swell making the strings get tighter or sharper as you have indicated.

One of the tuners, I'm sure, will confirm that the screw - be it screwed through or into the soundboard - has little to do with the tuning of the instrument.

[Barrie Heaton]

many thanks for your replies - will continue playing List... (and perhaps move the bathroom...)
I've noticed the soundboard is connected to one of the back ribs by a screw (I think they are usually glued ?) I wondered if that could that have anything to do with the tuning problem...

Are you sure its not a bolt from the frame into the post with a hole in the soundboard

can you take a photo

Barrie,

[johnfrance]

Quite right, thats what it is - thanks again for the advice
john