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Hi guys!

An upright piano at a community has 1 string out of tune for two of it's keys.
it is a short upright similar to this:


Will this work as a piano wrench?


I know, at least, a strip felt and/or rubber mutes should be used to isolate the string to tune.
Any advise is welcome, just short of "you need a professional" though..

Just a willing-to-help newbie tuner here.
Tuning guitars with my chromatic tuner on my phone.

No, a socket wrench will damage the tuning pins. Get the right tool for the job.

$15 on Amazon, not the best, but at least you won't damage the pins:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085WWKT2...Y2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

If you are in a minimalist mood, search eBay for "Piano Tuning Pin 3/8" ratchet Star Head". I am certainly not recommending this as a realistic substitute for a proper dedicated piano tuning lever that is designed for the task, but since you are asking about a socket wrench . . .

The tuning lever supplied in the 'kit' at that Amazon link, is absolutely useless for pianos. It might be ok for a harpsichord. Though even there, it probably wouldn't fit the pins well; it has a square-hole tip that is piano tuning pin size. BUT the lever itself is tiny. I have had two clients who bought those kits. The whole lever is barely six inches long.

It's really no good trying to do a job with something that isn't the right tool for it. It's got to be a proper piano tuning lever.

David,

I'm glad you said it. I didn't want to be Johnny Rain Cloud on that. I hope he spends some money to get a real lever.

Peter Grey Piano Doctor

There are a few star tip full-length levers on amazon in the $20 range - that would be my minimum to use. Someone gave me one of those tiny levers and it really was difficult to try to tune with that!

Ron Koval

Someone gave me a cheapo "tuning kit" thinking I might somehow find a place for it (typical New Englander that just can't throw stuff away). I didn't laugh or roll my eyes in front of him, but when I was alone I let out my disgusted laugh, especially after I opened the box and looked at the thing. One attempt on one tuning pin told me it was not fit for anything, let alone tuning pins. I promptly tossed it in the trash.

Peter Grey Piano Doctor

Someone I know bought one of amazon cheap kits. It had a star tip hammer. The fit was bad. Too much play and didn't seem to go down the pin enough.
I had a client who worked on cars I tuned his mason and hamlin grand for years ago.
He tried tuning with sockets and pins were messed up. I warned him.
He had another problem later. Called me after his cat upstairs was in the bathroom plugged the stopper in the bathroom sink. Seems they let the water drip for the cat overnight so it can drink!
Water overflowed, and went throw the ceiling. Messed up the rug and water went into the grand.
Hammers came apart.

I had a client who had bought one of those levers, with the exact same problems. It looked ok, was a good length, but something badly wrong with the tip; the exact same symptoms you describe. She had been unable to use it, and I tried it and was also unable.

Every cat I ever had, or looked after, including my friends big ginger puss the week before last, has preferred to drink from a running (or dripping) source rather than from a bowl. When I am cat-sitting for my friends' big ginger puss, I leave the bathtap running very slightly for him. But the plug is well out of the way!

If it was me I'd leave it a bowl of water and say "take it or leave it"...end of discussion.

Peter Grey Piano Doctor

Nobody has mentioned this but I doubt it’s just those strings which are untuned, the bad unisons just make it noticeable.

What device do you plan to tune with?

Good luck!’

I mean, a "real" tuning runs 100 to 150, why not put that amount into a tuning tool? Even 60 bucks will get you there, but when one owns an instrument that costs upwards of tens of thousands, it makes no sense skimping on the most fondamental tool...

Josh_sounds,

Here's the real issue...with a low quality tool you risk doing rather permanent damage to tuning pins, etc which will then impede even a professional's ability to properly tune the instrument at some later point. No amountnof "apologies" later will rectify the situation. Been there...done that...seen it...

Peter Grey Piano Doctor

Agree, the ones I've experienced after socket damage want to grip your hammer trying to take it off, so it throws the string.

Also is this your piano? I wouldn’t damage someone else’s piano tuning pin.

+amazon tools (assuming like that) are usually terrible.

Would this work?
https://www.howardpianoindustries.com/professional-piano-tuning-hammer-with-wood-handle/
(no.2 tip, 5 degrees should be good...?)

https://www.howardpianoindustries.com/piano-tuning-mute-kit/
Don’t forget the mutes!

https://www.howardpianoindustries.com/piano-tuning-lever-tip-wrench/
Tighten the tip! (This is necessary... right?)

Should still cost less than $100

Thanks everyone for your inputs.

I went back and took a look at the pins. And yes they are beveled very slightly, almost unnoticeable at an arms length.
Like everyone said, a straight socket won't cut it...

Guess I won't be able to scratch that itch afterall...

You might be right about that. And it will be a lot of work if that's true. I'll just focus on the two keys for now, for a quick fix.
And let the group managing the community decide on whether to have it overhauled or tuned or just regular maintenance.