Though I do not wish to weigh in with yet another opinion on the pin
tightener debate, I would like to make a few remarks as a supplement to
one of the points that Charles Flaum made in connection with this issue.

In MMD 970305, Charles Flaum wrote:

> 1. There has not been one an article in the Piano Technicians Guild
> (PTG) Journal in the last 15 years that has endorsed the use of pin
> tighteners in pinblocks.

Lest there be any confusion over what Mr. Flaum meant, The Piano
Technicians Guild _itself_ neither endorses nor condemns any commercial
products, with the exception of new elephant ivory, the use of which by
Guild members is forbidden.  Many products have, however, been discussed
and evaluated within the pages of the PTG Journal, in articles written
primarily by Registered Piano Technicians.  As Mr. Flaum correctly points
out, there have been no articles published in the last fifteen years in
support of the use of pin tighteners.  Quite to the contrary, in fact.

I think this carries far more weight than if one had merely said that
the _PTG_ does not endorse pin tighteners.  The PTG Journal has been, and
continues to be, the single most important print forum for the exchange
of information regarding piano technology and service in the English
language.  Whatever else one may think of the Guild and those of its
members that it has certified as Registered Piano Technicians, those RPT
members earned their credentials by passing the toughest, most thorough
examinations that exist in the North American piano industry.  The
Journal represents the collective (though sometimes conflicting) thoughts
and observations of the Guild's member-subscribers.

The articles published in the Journal over the years have primarily
come from the Guild's certified members -- men and women who typically
work on pianos five or more days a week.  The editorial policy of the
Journal is not unlike that of the Mechanical Music Digest.  The Journal
favours material that is concise, well-reasoned, and free of malice and
vindictiveness.

I think a very acceptable conclusion may be drawn from the fact that
this publication has had no advocates for pin tightener.  The majority of
technicians don't like it because either it doesn't work, or it ruins the
pinblock, or both.

My apologies.  I ended up unable to suppress yet another opinion regarding
pin tightener.  However, if wrangling over gnarly piano-related
technical issues is what some enjoy, perhaps a more appropriate electronic
forum for that purpose would be the Pianotech Mailing List, a listserver
that the PTG hosts.  Subscriber information may be found at the Guild's
website at:

    http://www.prairienet.org/arts/ptg/homepage.html

Cheers

Doug Rhodes - RPT¶
President, Vancouver Island Chapter¶
The Piano Technicians Guild¶
Victoria, British Columbia¶
CANADA¶