I feel like a real idiot.  Last week I wrote to MMD about some of the
unisons on one of my pianos that kept falling.

Yesterday, I discovered that several pianos around the shop had a few
unisons badly out of tune, always in the middle of the piano, including
a Foster that had recently been restrung. I became suspicious.  Chrissy
had bought me a nice rosewood tuning hammer, and I knew it was locked
in the closet. I checked, and it was there, right where I put it.

I had forgotten about that really awful tuning hammer I bought a few
years ago from Player Piano Company.  The handle had busted out and
only the metal shank and tip remained.  I threw it away a few years
ago.  Today Chrissy found the old rusted tuning hammer in our seven-
year-old's toy box, along with a dried out mute, and some old felt key
punchings.  I asked son Ben if he had been messing with the pianos
while I was at work (his play room is next to the piano room).  He
admitted to "tuning" them!

So that's the reason that those unisons did not stay where I put them!
The pins in one old Foster were a bit loose, so I set a temperament and
tuned it again.  It stayed.  I've been royally had! <Chuckle>

Sounds like Ben is a upcoming cracker-jack tuner.  I have every
intention of teaching him the trade.  I also have a MIDI file I
recorded of him playing the Barney theme. :-) I have always thought
that any piano serves it's ultimate purpose when loved by a child.

Andy Taylor

PS: He never broke one string -- more than I can say about my first
tuning job!