Well, it's done.
Finally I had to tune the show's piano! I could not believe my ears when they asked me to tune the concert's piano!
The guy, (he never told me his name), told me that the piano was tuned 3 days ago, so it should be fairly in tune, but he wanted me to touch up the tuning.
It's a Yamaha CF III, serial N° 6123900. What a beautyfull piano! It is equiped with two micros attached to the plate struts. From top it is the only equipement that is visible. I look under the piano and there is a black box, I don't know if it is a digital system. However the keybed is not cutted as I had seen in other electronically equiped pianos. And there is nothing more.
A fast check with my Verituner showed that A4 and the rest of the tenor was flat by 2 to 3 cents, while the bass and the treble were on pitch.
Many thanks to Ron Koval. I used his style for large stretched pianos, and it matched nicely the tuning already in the piano.
The unisons were perfect with a few exceptions. There were a very few notes off pitch, by 4 or 5 cents, in the low bass.
The guy asked me how many time I needed, I told him 2 hours and he said me "No way, you have an hour, the piano is really close."
I said OK. And began to think what I was able to do in an hour. I decided to leave the piano where it was, that's 3 cents flat. Touch up the unisons and the few notes that were off pitch.
So I adjusted my Verituner to minus 2.8 cents, which stopped the patern for A4 and began to tune any note that was off by more than 2 cents. If a note was off by less than 2 cents I left it where it was. Also I touched up the few unisons that were not perfect. I was finished in half an hour.
And then I began my run of tests: Octaves, fiths, fourths, thirds, sixths, tenths, 17ths, 12ths, double-octaves, all along the keyboard. I had to improve a few notes. And when the guy came back I was finished.
Then he sat at the piano and started playing. It sounded great! He played a series of loud chords, he pounded the piano! All across the entire keyboard. Finally he played a run of octaves and he said: "Fine, that´s it".
He closed the piano and they took it behind the stage.
Then I was introduced to another tuner. He is the owner of a rental piano, a 6 feet Yamaha grand, that James Blond will play tonight. He asked me about the Verituner and how it works. The piano was already strip muted, so I quickly setted the temperament A4, A3 and then from F3 to A4, to show him how it works. It took me only five minutes. He was also impressed by my Fujan. He was happy with the temperament! I let him finish the tuning.
Then I was conducted to the Elton's room. There was a Wagner, 100+ aged upright, 3/4 plate. Apparently it's German made, not because of the name but because of the keys and action. I've seen the same design in a Rosenkranz.
The piano is really in a bad shape. The tuning pins are rusted and loose, they didn't hold the pitch. There was no other option but to CA glue the pins. Fortunatly I had with me my red hot stuff. After waiting the glue to set for half an hour I began tuning. It was 35 cents flat. So I did a pitch raise followed by a fine tuning, and a third touch up pass. It held. Once tuned it has an acceptable sound. The bass is powerfull and the tenor is deep, with a shiny treble.
I then went to the stage to hear James Blond who was singing, playing guitar and piano. When he finished practice, I left.
A wonderfull experience. Though I didn't met Elton John.
But I saw James Blond, he has a nice voice.
Elton's piano is brand new and perfectly regulated. No need of lubricants!
One thing that amazed me: When I was on the stage, tuning the CF III, everybody stopped making noise!
I don't know who to thank for that, but I really appreciated, it was really nice! I believe the people in the hall was warned before I came in.
