Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Fujan 5 or 15 degree head

Very Close to ordering a Fujan but am still a little unsure of which angle head to get , probably slightly leaning toward the 15 degree head but only because that seems more popular.

I suppose i tune a fair amount of grands and am worried about clearance with the 5 degree head,,

And if i go with 15 degree head is the extension tip still a recommended buy ?

Just wondering what peoples experiences were regarding this.

I use the 15 with NO extension tip....I only tune Steinway and Son grand pianos and have no clearance problems.....I find the closeness of the pin to the shank of the lever gives me a better and more stable feel....an extension adds to that distance and reduces the 'feel'.
It is personal and depends on your own expectations and the kind of instruments you tune.

Peter

I tune many makes of grands and uprights of various ages with a fair amount of them being yamaha's and kwai's , not too many steinways...... unfortunately.

I guess if you have no preference going in the 15 degree would probably be less hassle and expense.

I bought a Fujan with an 11 inch tube and got the 5 degree head and a few extensions, only because of a long-standing predisposition that way and personal hammer techniques.

However, I attended a PTG regional seminar this past weekend and couldn't resist buying one of Charles Faulk's carbon fiber levers, and his levers only come with 15 degree heads.

I happened on his display the night before the event, when Charles was setting up his table. So, I was able to select what for me was the "pick of the litter" you might say. He didn't have his credit card machine there yet, so he reserved a 12 inch Carpathian elm burl lever for me until the next day.

Going to this event I thought if he had a 12 inch lever I liked I might spring for it, and this one is just beautiful and extremely light -- even a bit lighter than the Fujan I think.

Anyway, my point in bringing that up is that I've already tuned a few pianos with it and adapting to the 15 degree head is no big deal. That's for someone who has used 5 degree heads for around 30 years. There actually are some new technical nuances to explore. I won't stop using the 5 degree Fujan, which is a fantastic lever, but I think there are some interesting differences between the two.

One thing I like about 5 degree heads is that it's possible to tune the vast majority of verticals without an extension, and the 5 degree head has a certain efficiency of movement this way. But I've used the Faulk mainly on verticals so far and the 15 degree head has some technical points of its own.

Jeff

Michaelg
You might need that extension on the tip...
You will just love this tool...

slainte

Michael,

You may want to check with Steve about extensions with lengths other than what's currently listed on the site, if that'd interest you. When I bought my lever not long ago, there were two other standard lengths offered but not yet listed.

Just FYI.

Jeff

P.S. Peter's right, using this tool will just blow you away.

I have the 15% head with the tip extension on the 11" lever. I haven't run into anything that I can't clear with it. I was using a 5% head on my old lever. There was no adjustment period.

You'll love the Fujan lever. It has shaved a minimum of 15 minutes off of my tuning time, probably more.

I have a Fujan with 11" long lever and 5° head. In some uprights I use the 5/8" tip extension. Only once it didn't clear the top panel, it was an old upright S&S. I have not had problems with grands.

I would like to try the 13" long lever with 15° head, I guess it should be better to deal with tight tuning pins.

Anyway a wonderfull tool!

I have the 13" lever with the 15 degree head. Last week I tuned a couple of Young Chang consoles on which the overhang was so great that I couldn't use it and have ordered the 5/8" tip extension. Had to use my Wonder Wand, on which the tip is almost exactly 5/8" longer (and the angle is the same).

Thanks for all the advice so far, think i'll go for the 15 , it also seems that both the 11" an 13" lever lengths are popular ,
Decisions decisions ?

When I bought mine and was choosing components, I just thought very carefully and for as much time as needed about how I'd be using it.

I thought about how the ball end would fit my hand in different positions with the different lengths. I knew the 13" tube had greater leverage, but for me the length would often be awkward. I decided I could always buy the 2" tube extension if I needed it later, but most of the time use the shorter tube. On the other hand, if I bought the 13" tube I couldn't make it shorter when desired.

Logically, I think if you can get along with the 13" tube it'd be the way to go -- maximum leverage, made possible with no flex by the Fujan's exceptional rigidity. But, personal preferences may vary this choice (mine did).

Be sure to carefully look over the website and think about the custom-length tubes and other things available.

Jeff

Hey Jeff

After much consideration , i went ahead an ordered a 15 degree head and a 11" length tube , rosewood top.

Based the choice on my existing lever which is barely 10" long and has a pear shaped handle and I'm used to that.

Also ordered the 5/8 " tip extension and a few different sized tuning tips.

Cant wait to try it, thanks for all the help everyone

Michael

Thanks for letting us know what you decided, Michael. Congrats! If you care to, check back after you use it awhile and let us know what you think.

The thought behind the thing is just so slick. One of those way cool ideas that doesn't come along that often.

Jeff

Hi Guys , the fujan arrived last week ,i haven't had a chance to use it too much but i've done about 4 tunings with it so far and i absolutely love it.

Glad to hear it, Michael.

I should be receiving a two-inch tube extension and another 5-degree head tomorrow. They were shipped yesterday. There've been times when I've wished the short tube was a bit longer, for the added leverage. I knew that was a possibility, though, when I originally decided on the short tube. With most pianos I like the short tube just fine, and wouldn't want the long one. I got another head because I like having different set-ups of extensions and tips ready, to quickly screw on and off the tube by hand. Saves a lot of time and hassle.

Congrats again,

Jeff

I wonder what Freud would think of all this discussion about long cylindrical tubes with ball ends, generally manipulated with the right hand...

Hi jeff

I went ahead and ordered the 2"extension tube and 5-degree head myself , just a few days ago for the same reasons as yourself.

The only thing I'm still slightly unsure about is the rosewood knob, it feels a little large in my hand ,im having to learn to change my grip a little, Im wondering how carbon-fiber knob would feel,
Would love to hear from anyone who's tried both.

It took me a little while to get used to the rosewood knob too Michael. I kinda like how it rounds out in the palm of my hand now but, you don't have to position your hand in that area either. You can always grab it just below there with fingers instead too and move it. Try that once, see how you like it.. Play with it, so to speak and find what feeling works best.

Sam,

I think it was Freud (maybe Jung) who was discussing dream interpretation with someone and said: "Sometimes a pencil is just a pencil."

Maybe sometimes a Fujan is just a Fujan?

I guess we can't be too sure, though.

Jeff

Excellent tuning hammer. Very highly recommended! I ordered the basic 9-3/8" tube with rosewood knob, both the 5 and 15 degree head assemblies along with the 5/8" tip extension, 1" and 2-3/8" tuning tips.