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A basic question that I have is what is the common electronic tuner that piano tuners use to give the desired note...thank you, Duane.

Tunelab is one and Verituner is another if i recall correctly.

I use the manual method; tuning fork and ear muscle group, so there are likely other names that escape me.

Sanderson Accutuner (SAT) is the one with the longest legacy. Stand-alone machine only for tuning.

Reyburn Cybertuner, Tunelab, Verituner, OnlyPure and Dirk's are all software programs that run on a variety of platforms.

Verituner first generation "the box" was also a stand-alone machine only for tuning.

There were older ones and some simpler, modern ones, but I think the above represents the ones that take information from the actual sound of the piano via a microphone input to adjust the tuning to better match a specific piano.

Ron Koval

Which one do you recommend, Ron? thanks, Duane.

I use TuneLab http://www.tunelab-world.com/ and Tunic OnlyPure http://www.piano-stopper.de/html/tunic_onlypure.html . There is no "common" tuning device or ETD (Electronic Tuning Device). I suppose the granddaddy would be the Sanderson Accu-tuner http://www.accu-tuner.com/. It's a dedicated device and the others are software or apps as they call them now. Over all I'd recommend TuneLab. It's the least expensive at $300 and available on the most platforms - iPhone, Android (the only one for Android), Pocket PC and PC. Is it the best? I don't know but it does the job. I think it's the only one that produces a tone like a tuning fork would which is handy to have.

Duane, I prefer the tunings that the Verituner calculates using the custom styles available to in the software.

All of them are strong programs or platforms, but the Verituner is the only one (and maybe Dirk's, but I have no experience with that one) that uses a large number of measurements from the piano to micro-adjust the tuning calculation from end to end.

It depends what you are looking for from the electronic tuning device. Those that already know how to tune well aurally may need less guidance than the Verituner offers and are happy to take advantage of the pitch-raising features and the consistency that all of the platforms offer.

Ron Koval

Duane - I've logged just over 5,000 tunings on a Veritune 100 (the box) that I bought near the time when it first became available. I've had to replace the battery and charger once, the touchpads and also the on / off switches, but it still performs flawlessly. I love it, and wouldn't think of switching.

Before that, I had gone through 5 Tunemasters, by Berkshire instruments. I liked them at the time, but only because I didn't know any better. They tuned every piano exactly the same - didn't analyze the data from the specific piano to give a tuning unique to the instrument. But in 1973 when I started out, they seemed a whole lot better than a Conn Strobotuner. I liked the needle display - which the Verituner replicates (although not with an actual physical needle.)

Good luck with your decision to change careers at this point in you life, and all the excitement that will go along with it. Beats the heck out of retiring from your job to become a greeter at Walmart. The challenge of learning piano tuning and repair will keep you young at heart, I predict. Chuck Behm

Thank you, Chuck, very encouraging comments especially the Walmart Greeter, but you know what I would do that a little bit just because I love talking to people. Thank you to all who have responded it is very encouraging to get helpful answers and the answers are so different but all lead to good things. Reminds me of the Mandolin Café and the forum there....lots of good stuff about the instrument.....Duane.

You know, the tuners you all mention are just great and I will get one I'm sure but for now what is a good cheaper one say less than $100....can these be found....Duane

A tuning fork, instructions on how to tune an aural temperament, and your ears.

You will never regret learning to tune aurally. If you have healthy ears and enough patience, you can do it. Becoming dependent on a machine will be a limitation.

Yes, it's really wonderfull to be able to tune a piano with only a fork, a tuning hammer and a mute!

Unfortunately, now in these cybernetic times, some customers ask me to use an ETD! They think it's better than aural tuning!

Some years ago, it was the contrary! Customers believed that a tuner had to use an ETD just because he couldn't tune aurally!

This is a good answer. The question is supposing (rightly, apparently) that Tuners use a machine to tell them how to tune.

Congratulations for thé public to believe that today.

That is a disaster, or the proof some finesse in listening is lost.

Probably local, this is the opposite here at the moment. For how long?

Yesterday I tuned a wurlitzer spinet for the first time. The owner asked me if I tune with an ETD, I said yes if you want, but I can also tune by ear.

He told me the last time the piano was tuned, aurally, the tuning was weird, the treble was flat and some chords just didn't sound right. He has complained to the tech who has retouched the tuning. But he was not satisfied with the final tuning. So this time, he wanted to try with an ETD!

I tune for some recording studios and they also ask me to tune with an ETD.

Yes, this is all good and thank you for sharing but what I asked was: "You know, the tuners you all mention are just great and I will get one I'm sure but for now what is a good cheaper one say less than $100....can these be found....Duane" so....does anyone know of any EDT's as they are called available and reliable at a more "delicate" price....tks, Duane.

Nop.

And I know you are not going to appreciate my answer but an ETD is only a tool. You are supposed to know how to tune in order to make a good use of it.

In other words, if you do not know how to tune a piano it is useless to buy an ETD.

The cheapest professional level tuning software I know is Tunelab Pro and it is about $300 +.

But this is not as much as the 2 to 3 years of training in tuning pianos with a good mentor or at least a $1,600 course of piano technology plus a good $1,000 to buy a decent tuning hammer and a minimum set of other tools to fix broken strings, sticking keys and other minor repairs.

So if you only have $100 to spend, you can call a professional tuner to tune your piano!

Duane, feel free to PM me if you want to have a discussion about electronic tuning without the pressure to be an aural tuner first...

Tunelab is available as a free download - computer for sure, and maybe pocket PC as well. It will "lock up" for timed intervals as it reminds you to purchase a license, but it gives you a chance to see if it suits your needs.

Again, there are ways to maximize your chance of getting great tunings without being an aural tech first. The farthest from decent tunings I often see are from aural techs that either never really got good, have lost "the touch", or have just gotten sloppy..

Ron Koval

Ron, I'm not sure what the OP wants. A good tuning fork can be had for under $20.00 US.