Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Stabilization and Stretch Time For New Strings

How long does it take strings to stretch out to the point that the tuning stabilizes? Is there a difference between bass and treble strings so far as stretching and stability? How many tunings would be required during this period? I know this may not have a specific answer as there may be many variables but an approximation would be fine.


Thanks in advance for your responses.

It takes a lot less time than it used to, it seems. Although it takes a couple of years before it is completely stable, going from unchipped to where it will hold enough to tune seems to take a lot fewer tunings than it used to, maybe just four or five. After that, I tune a week later, and a month later. In the next couple of years, it may fall some if it is completely neglected, but it is not a complete disaster like it was when I started in this business. I really think piano wire has improved greatly in the past 30 years.

Thanks for the reply. I suppose I didn't ask the question in the manner that would get another answer I am looking for. How long from the time the strings are installed would this be? For instance if one installed the strings on a Friday and it would require 4-5 tunings for the strings to stabilize relatively well what would the time lapse be?

I do realize that new strings would require the piano being tuned 4-5 more time the first year. It is the initial period of installation to the time the piano is ready for delivery to its new owner, me! Is 2 weeks a reasonable amount of time?

Some of the tuning is done before the rest of the piano is done. I like to get the tuning fairly stable before installing the dampers.

When I am restringing a piano without a new pin block and replacing hammers and such, I figure 3-5 weeks. The refinisher takes about the same amount of time. Sometimes I have to wait a while for plating, too.

Well the situation is like this, the soundboard and pinblock have been replaced. It seems that after settling in a while it was noticed by the rebuilder that the bass strings were buzzing. He indicated to me that they weren't properly wound. This was after being installed a few months back.

He installed the new bass strings a week ago and indicated that he would need to tune it about 4 more times before it is ready for delivery, hopefully by next Saturday, the 11th. Does this sound about right? Thanks again.

The new strings will still be stretching for at least another 6 months. Even in new pianos, the strings will continue stretching for at least a year. This all depends on how many tunings were rendered in the factory, and how many tunings occured on the showroom floor. Most manufacturers reccomend at least 3 tunings in the piano's first year.

I tuned all of my restrung pianos 7 times over 2-3 weeks before delivery to the customer. All tunings were to A-442. When I did the free in-home tuning about a month after delivery, the piano was usually right at A-440. I'd then tell the customer to tune it again in 3-4 months and then every 6 months for two years.

By that time, an annual tuning will suffice.

I once restrung a piano and had it tuned well enough for a concert to be performed on it about a month after I started. The owner of the last one I did had a house concert on it within a week of when I finished it.