Tuning a Yamaha CP60M

[gilwe]

I just got this great sounding electro-acoustic piano. It is almost perfectly tuned at all double string notes (it has one string for the lower one and a half octave and two for all others) but the lower one and a half octave (one string per note) seems not to be tuned right. I thought usinf Tunelab software to tune the problemtic notes and I have a few questions -

1. Which type of tuning is recommended for a rock piano ? standard ? stretched ? I guess I'll have to find which tune was used when tuning it the last time as it is 80% tuned perfectly and I wouldn't like to touch the upper octaves ...


2. I just bought a tuning level for it, with a square type of head, told it is a standard size, but it seems that the tuners on the Yamaha are a bit smaller than the lever's head and it doesn't stick into them perfectly - could that ruin the tuners ? and IS it a standard size after all ? or should I get a special tuners for Yamaha pianos ? DOes all Yamaha upright uses the same tuners ?

Thanks for any direction !

[Michele Felice]

I haven't seen one of those for years; I think the last ones were made about 25 years ago. I would be surprised, if it has seen much use, if the action does not need work--felt replaced and regulation.

Pianos need to be stretch-tuned if they are to sound good at all, or in tune with themselves. Even for rock. It is quite unlikey that your instrument is in perfect tune, unless it was just tuned. If you are judging the tuning based on the correct frequencies for notes in equal temperament, they will not be correct for a piano (except perhaps at A440), because of the need for stretch tuning.

Piano strings stretch and move across their bearing points and they go out of tune with temperature changes and playing, even if the piano does not have a soundboard (as the CP60).

The CP60 has smaller tuning pins than a regular piano and requires the use of a small tuning lever tip. Tuning lever tips should have a star-shaped opening not a square one. A square one is for tuning some very old pianos with old-style tuning pins. The star-shaped tip allows the tuning lever to be placed at any convenient angle and makes tuning much simpler than with a square tip. You may be able to use a small regular tuning lever tip (#1) for the CP60. You can get tips from any piano parts supplier.

[gilwe]

I just bought it and the seller said she had it tuned about a year ago. The tuning seems to be perfect from the third octave and up. The current problem is with a few notes in the very low one and a half octaves (which where there is only one bass string exists). Other than that it is really in a perfect condition - just like new !!

The tuning pins on the CP60M are square but a bit smaller than the square tip I got,
Do I actually have to use the star tip for it ??

Thanks again.

[gilwe]

I just replaced the square tip with the star one, but didn't have the chance to try it yet. Are they standard sized and should the star tip be a bit smaller in size than the square type ? (i.e square tip for older pianos, star tip for newer pianos)