|
Hi, All,
I want to buy a good tuning hammer and am willing to pay around $100 for one. I see two sources from all my Google searches - - Piano Showcase (not sure where - - Canada or Nevada) that sells both Schaff and Hale, and Steve's (in Tennessee) that handles just the Hale lever. I can't find consistent descriptions of any of them as to what's stainless and what's not, or even what the Model numbers are - - Hale numbers seem to be entirely different from seller to seller. I presume Hale tips will not fit Schaff heads, and vise-versa, so whatever brand I buy, I have to be sure I can get all the fittings I need from the same source. That alone seems to put me in the Hale 'camp'. Is that where I will be happiest?
I talked to a local piano tuner and he said I should buy Schaff. One of the things that's so exasperating is Schaff won't even permit access to their on-line catalog without an account number. I don't mind not being able to buy at the wholesale level, but it irks me not to even be permitted to see what all they make. Would it be a big job for anyone with an 'account number' to copy and paste just the tuning tools part of the Schaff catalog to me via email?
I have in my hand an old Schaff goose-neck tuning hammer, and I'm not very impressed with it. It has no marking as to the size of the star head, and it seems to stick - - on my 1931 Baldwin tuning pins if I press it on the pin until there is no 'play' - - so much so that I expect it might change the tuning in the process of my rocking it off the pin. As you can tell, I'm a total neophyte in the use of this tool, but I would hope at some quality level a tuning hammer would fit the pins better and be less of a hassle to put on and remove. At least I hope the 'star' socket in a replaceable tip has a taper that matches the taper of 'standard' pins.
Thanks,
|
