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Anyone have an original Wurlitzer 140B bench for sale?

Alan

I recently bought a copy of an early Mark I owner's manual from eBay.  It's dated September 1970, and may have been used for several years after that.  I couldn't help but notice that while so many people today are trying to lighten the action of early Mark I pianos with bump mods, the owner's manual had a somewhat different focus.

In a section entitled "Touch Adjustment," the booklet offered a tip on how to make the action heavier.

"If you would like your piano action heavier, it can be made 'stiffer' or 'heavier' by obtaining lead weights from any piano supply house and securing them to the back of the keys."

You do occasionally see Mark I's that have been fitted with weights on the keys. But I suspect Vintage Vibe has done a brisk business selling "Miracle Mod" kits to players looking to take their pianos' action in the other direction.

Alan

David Robertson (who has posted on this forum as "Ozdoc") and I, both longtime members of this group, have been working for more years than we care to admit on a big, beautifully photographed hardcover book that pays tribute to vintage keyboards.   Electric pianos, Hammonds, combo organs, Mellotrons, Clavinets, Pianets, the Minimoog, and many others.  The book, "Classic Keys: Keyboard sounds that launched rock music," is being released late next month, and is available now for pre-order on Amazon and leading book sites world-wide. https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Keys-Keyboard-Sounds-Launched/dp/1574417762/

Want a preview?  Check out the book description, sample pages, "famous player" endorsements and other info at ClassicKeysBook.com.  And if you want to keep in touch with the latest on the book, Like us on Facebook, @ClassicKeysBook .

We look forward to hearing your reactions to our labor of love.

Alan (and David)

I have a completely different approach. I have the old version of this passive direct box, which allows you to get from speaker level to line level cleanly, quietly, and without modifying the piano.

I love the archives of this group.  I'd been wanting to run my 140B into an amp, but there is no aux out.  I didn't want to alter the piano, and I wanted to use the headphone jack for the signal since it silences the internal speakers when it's in use.  Using Rob's suggestion (from 5+ years ago) as a starting point, I called Sweetwater and they suggested using this device with the headphone jack:  https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ProRMP 

It works great. (And if you've never heard your Wurli through a guitar amp, it's a pretty amazing difference in the sound -- very aggressive and metallic-sounding. It's almost like having a different piano. I like both sounds, and it's nice to have a choice.)

Alan

For years, a recurring topic on this list has been whether a Twin Reverb is too powerful to use at home with a Rhodes, with some folks saying you just can't get a decent tone at home levels.  So here's a contrary point of view:

Today, I found one at a good price and couldn't resist buying it.  Brought it home and thought it sounded wonderful -- clean, bright and full-bodied-- and really helped bring out some extra charm from the Rhodes.  I'm not sure I'd feel the same way if I lived in an apartment with neighbors who didn't appreciate my playing and I had to play it very softly.  But I live in a single family house, and it sounds great in my music room set on about 3.

I wonder whether much of the "you can't get good tone from a Twin at home" comes from guitarists who don't think they have any tone if they're not over-driving an amp. (And over-driving a Twin may well risk your hearing.  Better to add a distortion pedal.) Given the amp's weight and bulk, I'm quite pleased to leave it in my home -- and I won't feel bad that there are 7 volume numbers that I'll never use.

For the record, my new toy is a 1977 Silverface 100 watt version (not the ultralinear 135 watt version), with push/pull master volume.  (I suppose I could use the master volume to get distortion at reasonable volumes, but I prefer a clean Rhodes sound anyway.)

By the way, troubleshooting suggestions would be gratefully accepted for the amp's one issue:  The Vibrato (tremolo) doesn't work. I can hear a little rhythmic clicking, however, that varies in tempo as I turn the speed knob.  And when I turn the depth knob up, it reduces the overall volume of the amp, as if it's shunting the signal to ground. I tried replacing the vibrato tube, which made no difference.

Alan

I just noticed that on my 1974 Stage, the soft bass hammer tips on the first two octaves are noticeably shorter than the tips in the rest of the piano. The non-bass tips are all the same height. All the tips on the piano appear to be original square tips.   Out of curiosity, I checked some square tips I had removed from a 1973 student piano, and they were just like my '74 (short bass ones, and the rest are the same taller height).

Then I checked my '72 Piano Bass, and all the tips are the same height.

The conventional wisdom here seems to be that early Mark I's had non-graduated square tips, and later models went to tapered graduated ones.  But my '73 and '74 suggest there was some transition between those designs. The idea certainly makes sense, since the bass tines oscillate in a wider arc, giving the bass hammers a little more clearance from the tines to reduce the chance for doublestrikes. It works for me: Without a bump mod, I can play this piano soft or hard, with excellent dynamic range.

Any comments from those of you who see a lot more of these pianos than I do?  By the way, it looks like the replacement square tips that Retrolinear and Vintage Vibe sell are all of equal height across the keys.

Alan

I've been considering getting a strobe tuner to tune my Rhodes, Wurli and other keyboards.  At first I liked the idea of buying a vintage Peterson, but then realized I could buy a nice Peterson electronic strobe for less than it would cost to have an old one calibrated/refurbished, and the new one would be far more accurate and offer stretch tuning and other features.  Like this one, which Peterson claims is accurate up to 1/10 of a cent: www.guitarcenter.com/Peterson/StroboPlus-HD-1361806819292.gc

I'd be interested in comments about this model -- or  general thoughts about using a strobe tuner with EPs.  (I'm really not interested in a phone or computer app.)  One question:  I've read that people generally can't discern a pitch difference of less than about 4-5 cents.  If that's true, is there any reason to tune with something more accurate than my Korg CA-30 electronic tuner?

Thanks,

Alan

Perhaps Ben Bove is too modest to mention this, but the October issue of Keyboard magazine features an interview with singer, songwriter and keyboard player Kandace Springs in which she mentions that on her latest album, she played a Rhodes customized by Ben's Retro Rentals in Los Angeles.  And a photo with the story shows a beautiful red Rhodes, that clearly has some mods.

So, congrats Ben!  (And can you share what the mods are on her Rhodes?)

Alan

For the past few years, I've been working with David Robertson ("OZDOC" on this forum) on a coffee table-style book about keyboard instruments from the 1950s through the mid-1980s.  Rhodes, Wurlis, Hammonds, combo organs, Clavinets, Pianets, early synths and other classic instruments.

To add to the vintage feel of the book, we'd like to include a collage of photos of bands from that era that used keyboards.  I'm wondering whether some of you might be willing to search through old photo albums and send me some scans. I'm looking for photos that show you playing any keyboard instrument of 1950s through the mid-1980s. They can be on stage or practicing in your garage. (You get extra credit if you're wearing clothes you'd be embarrassed to wear today: Bell bottom pants, Spandex, Paul Revere and the Raiders-style Colonial uniforms, etc.)

The only rule is that you must own the rights to the photos and be willing to grant us permission to publish them. (No photos taken by newspapers, for example, since it might be impossible for us to chase down permission to publish them.)

I can't answer many questions about this project until it's closer to publication.  But it will be a carefully researched, beautifully illustrated, large format book, and I think you would be pleased to have your band photo included.  You can send your photos to me at alan.lenhoff AT GmailDOTcom.

Thanks,

Alan Lenhoff

I recently bought a 1974 Mark I Stage.  On the back, there's a large Fender Rhodes logo. (Or, at least most of a logo.) It's entirely black, with no sign of any chrome plating on it.  I've seen photos of other pianos of that era that whose rear logos also appear to be black only.

I'd think these originally had (not very durable) chrome plating.  (The logo is practically invisible without it.) Can anyone confirm this?  I'd like to find a replacement FR logo, and I've only seen ones with chrome plating.

Thanks,

Alan

My "new" Mark II Suitcase (Haigler/Janus 100W amp) intermittently has a kind of fuzzy, trailing distortion on the left channel,especially when I hit a bunch of keys fairly hard.

I don't hear it through headphones.  Have I just ruled out everything upstream of the speakers (and the speaker wiring)?

Alan

I'm looking to buy a dual volume/sustain pedal for an RMI Electrapiano.  I'm also looking for a music rack that goes with an RMI 386X Electrapiano.

Thanks,

Alan

Saw this in an ad:



The seller identifies it as a Wurli Model 120, but the cabinet style (including its high-profile "forehead") looks more like a 112 to me.  (But the controls in the cheek block rule out a 112.)

The finish may have been owner-added. Another photo shows the finish more clearly.  It's a dark brown woodgrain. It's hard to tell whether it's real wood or something simulated.

Might this be some transitional model between the 112 and the 120?

Any ideas welcomed.

Alan

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FENDER-RHODES-SPARKLE-TOP-STAGE-73-1965-/231084507390?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

A "Jetson's"-style student Rhodes, chopped and sprayed with sparkle paint?

Alan

If you were the "lucky" winner of this piano bass on eBay, you might want to be careful before sending any payment:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/fender-rhodes-bass-keys-Keyboard-/130811219138?ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123&nma=true&si=arKM81qVcW%2Flg5roLTzOoNDl8TA%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

The photos are from an auction that was completed roughly 18 months ago by a backline company  located near me. Twice since then, I've seen their photos and descriptions used in cheap Buy-it-Now eBay auctions from non-US sellers with zero feedback.

(In this one, the seller is from Mexico. The eBay site now shows the item location as United States, but my mobile eBay app shows the location as Allen Park, Michigan -- which is where that backline company is based.  Maybe an earlier version of the listing? Maybe the "seller" had second thoughts about copying the entire completed listing.)

I've had great eBay experiences.  But always best to be cautious...

Alan

The archives here are full of posts about people using Elmer's Slide All to lube felts on Rhodes pianos.  Some posters, including some highly experienced techs, have endorsed its use, while others have wondered whether it is safe to use around plastics.

Last night, I made the mistake of spraying some Slide All into the key bushings of my Rhodes bass. Some of it dripped down to several keycaps, where it caused some melting of the plastic. 

(I was able to fully repair the damage with some 0000 steel wool and plastic polish, so at least no permanent harm was caused.  But the damage really surprised me, after reading all the endorsements.)

I've used Slide All on two other Rhodes pianos I've owned, with no problems.  Don't know if I was just more careful in those cases, whether Rhodes keys of some vintages stand up better to the stuff than those built in other years -- or whether the Slide All spray has been reformulated with a new carrier.

But my view is: Why take a chance?  Next time, I'll use nothing but Protek lube or Teflon powder.

Alan

Just bought a very nice 1972 Sparkletop Piano Bass. It came with an original Fender stand that I'm thinking of selling.

I know these are pretty hard to find.  Any ideas on what one might be worth?

I'd describe mine as being in fair cosmetic condition, but it would be a good candidate for a like-new restoration with a relatively modest effort/investment. It's totally solid and functional, and has all its parts.  But the wood tray that holds the piano could use re-finishing (although it's mostly covered anyway when the piano bass is in place.) And the steel tubes that hold the tray have a fair amount of paint chipping/scuffing and would benefit from being re-sprayed. 

Alan

I've been hoping to find a Rhodes bass at a reasonable price.  (Yeah, it's taking lots of patience, but that's okay.)  Sometimes, I see sparkletop ones that have nicks in the lid (maybe the size of a pea) in which all the sparkle paint is gone. 

Is there a good low cost way to touch up those kinds of spots on a sparkle top?  Or is the only good  solution to find a auto or boat painter to professionally refinish the entire lid?  I wouldn't be looking for perfection -- just something that would look pretty decent.

Alan

I've read that Rhodes added the pedestal bump in 1977 to lighten the action.

Does anyone know when during 1977 the changeover was made?  Or, possibly equally helpful, if you have a 1977 WITH the pedestal bump, can you post the date code?

Thanks,

Alan

After re-assembling my Wurli 200A recently, I'm getting a little, monentary static "tick" through the speakers when the sustain pedal is depressed nearly to the floor.   

I tried tightening all the grounds. Still there. I used my hand to actuate the sustain mechanism from underneath the top (without using the pedal) and did not hear the "tick."

Any ideas?

Alan

I just ordered a new speaker for my 200A.  To remove the old one, how do you keep the flower-head screws from rotating so you can remove the nuts and pull out the speaker?

Thanks,

Alan

About a year ago, I bought a really outstanding 1979 Stage 73 that came with most everything -- legs, pedal, legs bag, the original plastic envelope with extra tines, etc.  About the only thing that was missing was the instruction sheet for installing new tines that generally came in the spare tine envelope.

I had never really thought about it until I read a post several months ago in which someone mentioned they had one. I asked if he might scan and email a copy to me.  He agreed to do so, but I never received it.

Does anyone have one they wouldn't mind scanning?  I know this sounds compulsive, but having the last missing piece would be nice.

Alan

In November, there was a thread here that drifted considerably, and turned into a discussion about whose Gibson G101 organ had -- or didn't have -- a large Gibson logo on the audience side of the modesty panel. 

I'm interested both in using actual serial numbers to estimate the number of Gibson/Kalamazoo organs produced, and also to see if there's a pattern of which organs had the large logos.

So, I you have either a Gibson G101 or Kalamazoo K-101, can you post the serial number and indicate whether it has that large logo on the audience side?  If you know the year it was purchased, that would be helpful, too.

(If you no longer own it, but still know the serial number, that would be just as helpful.)

For the record, my Gibson G-101 is serial number 5330, it has the large logo, and the original owner believes he bought it in 1967.

Thanks,

Alan

I see that Vintage Vibe is now offering a replacement Wurli 200/200A amp for $200-$250. 

http://www.vintagevibe.com/p-723-wurlitzer-electric-piano-200200a-amplifier-board-new.aspx

Given that high-quality vintage keyboard teching isn't cheap (one guy in my area charges $100 just to estimate a repair), if you've got a dead/ailing Wurli amp -- and don't have the ability to do the work yourself --  dropping in one of these new amps might be a better value.

The cost might be similar to a repair, and you'd presumably get better reliability, and quieter operation.  Other replacement Wurli amps I've seen have typically sold for $375+.

Has anyone tried one of these? 

(The usual disclaimer...  My only connection to VV is occasionally being grateful that they stock some hard-to-find parts I need.)

Alan

I recently replaced about 20 scratched or gouged key caps on my 200A, mostly with key caps I bought from Steveo.  (Who did me a great favor by removing them from some old keys he had around, which I'm sure was extremely time-consuming.  Thanks Steveo!)  It all worked great -- and I really like that my instrument still has its vintage looks (unlike what it might have looked like if I had installed a set of generic keycaps).

One of the main issues, though, was that the assortment of used Wurli keycaps I used (from at least three pianos) ranged from fairly bright white to a deep, sickly yellow.  I needed a way to make them all white -- and posts on this list that address the subject typically gave advice that doesn't work, or said it can't be done.

I found a method that worked perfectly:  All my keys now are white and matching.  Here's what I did:

I scrubbed them -- really hard -- with 0000 steel wool. It was a lot of work, and some of the keys required multiple passes.  Then, I hand polished them with some automotive rubbing compound (which was labelled safe for clear coat finishes), and then with some Novus 2 plastic polish.  They are now all clean, white, shiny and smooth.

(To tell the truth, I didn't pick those polishing compounds based on some special characteristics of each of them.  I simply used what I had around the house.  But they worked beautifully.)

It was a lot of work.  Having done it, if I ever had to replace a broken keycap, I would be confident I could get any Wurli replacement to color match the rest of my keyboard.  (Of course, I might have to do the steel wool treatment to every key on the piano to make them match.)

One other takeaway from this: Don't do your steel wool work anywhere near your Wurli, since the steel wool residue flies everywhere, and Wurlies don't like dust and debris. I didn't think about that, and when I turned my piano back on, it had an awful, loud, staticy sound.  It took a lot of vacuuming around the reed bar to get it working properly again.

Alan

I need to replace the oval power receptacle on my 200A. (The kind with the round pins.) Vintage Vibe has them. But with a minimum $18 order, plus shipping, that's pretty expensive.  Anyone know another source -- or what I should search for (name? model number?) to try to find it elsewhere? 

Thanks,

Alan

There are a number of keys on my 200A that have some scratches or scrapes.  They don't affect the function of the piano, but I don't like how they look.  Beyond that, one octave of keys is slightly more yellow than the others -- as if it was once in a room in which direct sunlight only hit one side of the keyboard.

I'm thinking about putting on new keycaps. I've seen the Vintage Vibe video on YouTube that shows them replacing keycaps. They make it sound like a tedious, but low skill job.  But elsewhere on the web, I've seen suggestions that this really ought to be done by someone with significant experience.

What concerns me most is the need to use a file to narrow the width of the keycaps and slightly bevel the edges -- and whether a careful "amateur" is likely to be able to do that in a way that looks correct and uniform.  If I wasn't confident I could do a professional-looking job, I would not want to attempt to do this.

Anyone have experience doing this they might share?   Thanks,

Alan

My recently acquired Stage 73 looks almost new -- except for some corrosion on the hardware.  I tried using some metal polishes and 0000 steel wool on a corner, and made some significant improvement.  But this is a lot for work for the results, and I'm considering just replacing the corners.

In reading the archives, however, it appears that many of the replacement corners people have bought are somewhat smaller.  That's not an issue if you're re-Tolexing, but if you're not, it might mean that the original screw holes are left exposed outside the new corners. Sounds ugly.

Has anyone bought new corners for a Stage that fit the existing screw holes?  (If so, please indicate the source.) Don't know if the corner dimensions changed over the years, but my Stage was built in 1979, just before the start of Mark II production.

Thanks,

Alan

Reading through the archives (one of my favorite pre-occupations while I've been setting up my "new" '79 Stage), I saw suggestions that the preamp stage of a mixer could be used to boost volume and add clarity.  So, I pulled out my rarely used Behringer UB802 mixer to use between my Rhodes and my Vox AD100VT amp.  The results were too noisy to use.

I'm anticipating that people will simply tell me that this is the predictable result of using a cheap mixer -- and they may be right.  But I did find some posts in the archives suggesting that you can get acceptable results from Behringer mixers.

I am totally a mixer illiterate.  Before I give up on this, can someone coach me through which inputs and outputs would be most appropriate to use, and give me some hints on where to set the gain and the various volume controls to minimize noise?

You can see an image of the mixer controls here:  


(Click on the photo to enlarge it.)

Thanks,

Alan


[mod] Edited image link to render inline

I've been corresponding with a guy who has a Mark 1 Stage for sale.  I asked him to check the date code on the top right side of the harp.  I'm not sure what he found -- or where he actually looked -- but he said he found a stamp that read 3179-3994.

Now, 3179 makes sense.  (He's the original owner, and he thinks he bought it in 1979.  But what would those other four digits be?  Has anyone seen an eight-digit date code in a Rhodes?

And, assuming it's a '79, anyone have opinions on the quality of what Rhodes was building in that year?

Thanks,

I may be able to buy a Conn St-4 strobe tuner at a good price.  The age of the device (1950s?) and the old school technology (lots of tubes) scare me some, however.

Do these tend to be troublesome devices?  When working proerly are they highly accurate?

Do they have any advantages over the various shareware tuning software packages you can download -- or over a decent ($100+) electronic tuner?

I would primarily be using this to tune a Rhodes and a Wurli.

Thanks,

Alan

Check out this ebay listing:

<http://cgi.ebay.com/Rhodes-Stage-Piano-88-From-Stateville-prison_W0QQitemZ140328641108QQcmdZViewItemQQssPageNameZRSS:B:SRCH:US:101>

Someone is trying to sell a Rhodes 88 for megabucks ($2,700 starting price, but with a higher reserve) as a "collector's item."  

This banged-up, legless  Rhodes' claim to fame? It was in Stateville prison near Joliet, Ill, which the seller implies was the prison used in the Blues Brothers movie. "This piano truly has a history and a story unmatched by others in its category," the seller says.

Lest anyone assume this was the Rhodes that Ray Charles played in that movie, the Rhodes is clearly a 1983 model (built three years after the movie was made).  And, by the way, it was the OTHER prison in Joliet, the Joliet Correctional Center, that was used in the movie.

Still, I'm certain this piano is worth whatever premium someone is willing to pay.  ;-)

I'm intrigued by seeing a couple of Leslie 60 speaker systems for sale in my area. I understand they were designed to be used with a Rhodes or Wurli, to provide a kind of stereo vibrato.

Anyone familiar with them?  Are they really cool -- or has newer amp/stompbox technology left them sounding lame?  I don't gig, so high volume isn't required.

Just discovered that the tuning job on my Rhodes (done by a piano tech) is consistently sharp. (Took a long time to notice this, since I always play this instrument solo.)

I'm going to tune it this time. A couple of questions:

1)  Do you tune based on the initial sound of striking the tine -- or the slightly different pitch you hear as the sound sustains?

2) Any hints for tuning the highest notes?  Seems like on those very short tines, the slightest movement of the spring makes a huge difference in the pitch. I've never felt I could really do a good job in that register.

Thanks for any/all suggestions.

Love the sound of my new Small Stone phaser, but I'm having trouble using it without getting a lot of noise.

I have a student Rhodes (with the built-in 10 watt amp), paired with a Peavey KB100 solid state amp. Without the Small Stone, I just turn the Rhodes amp about half-way, and use the auxillary output on the Rhodes to connect to the amp.  Everything works fine.

If I go from the aux output to the Small Stone and then to the Peavey, I get bad distortion, like I'm really overdriving the pedal.  If I turn down the Rhodes' amp volume, the distortion goes away.  But that means I have to turn up the volume considerably on the Peavey, which creates a lot of noise. (When the phaser is on, you hear a loud, whoosh...whoosh... whoosh sound; when it's off, I hear continuous noise.)

I'm not sure what to do. I could try going directly from the harp to the pedal. But then I'd be starting with a weaker signal, which would require the Peavey amp to be set even higher, right?

There's also an earphone output from the Rhodes amp.  Maybe I can get an output signal from it.  But while it looks like a standard ¼" output, it seems to be shorter inside. (When I stick a ¼" plug in it, the plug won't go in all the way.)

I just bought the Small Stone on ebay. It's a USA re-issue model. Cosmetically, it arrived in mint condition, and I have no reason to believe there is any problem with the pedal itself.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Alan

(X-posted to two other Rhodes groups)

In early December, on a whim, I bought a 1973 student Rhodes in a nice walnut case.  15 notes didn't work at all. The action felt like an invitation to carpal tunnel, and it was full of buzzes and dead-sounding notes.  Knowing nothing about these beasts – and having quite modest technical skills – I turned to a couple Rhodes discussion groups for help, and started sorting through the "you can do it posts" and the "you need to have supernatural powers and years of experience to make these things work" posts.  At the least, I figured, I bought the Rhodes really cheap, and could easily re-sell it if I was unable to bring it back to life...  But why not try?

Today, it sounds fantastic, looks good, and the action is so nice that there is absolutely no need to do the ped mod I had planned. In between, I cleaned everything, replaced a dead pickup, installed new pedestal felts, grommets and hammer tips, replaced a bad hammer flange, lubed all the felts, replaced 15 missing bridle straps, lowered the harp, re-set the strike line, fine-tuned the dampers, touched-up the cabinet, replaced the missing "73" logo, stretch-tuned it with software I found on the web, and re-voiced it.  I worked slowly and methodically, and enjoyed doing it.  Now, it's a pleasure to play and a fine complement to my Hammond B2 and two Leslies with which it shares a room in my home.

So, there are two points to this post.

First, thanks to all for the help (including a lot of you who have no idea that you helped me, since I found your advice in the archives.)  A special shout-out to some folks who helped offlist (Steve Hayes and Ted Thompson of Speakeasy Vintage, John Della Vecchia and James Page).

Second, some encouragement for others in my situation.  If I can do this, you can, too.  Aside from the electronics on some models, these are relatively simple devices.  With the many talented, experienced techs you can connect with on the Web (as well as the service manual and sources of parts), you CAN get the job done.  Read the archives, study the service manual, ask questions to fill-in the blanks, and get going!

Alan

(This message X-posted to Rhodes Yahoo group.)

I've been using Instrument-Tuner software to tune my Rhodes, and could use a little advice.  I'm running direct from the harp output into the sound card on my laptop, and I've created a tuning protocol based on the stretch tuning diagram in the Rhodes service manual.

In the middle registers, the notes are easy to tune.  In the upper registers, I find it more difficult to be accurate, since the tines are so short that even the slightest movement of the tuning spring causes a large change in the tuning, but with some patience, it works pretty well.

I'm finding the most difficulty in the lower registers.  When I pluck the tine (even if I do it gently, up near the tone generator), the tines vibrate pretty widely, and the frequency readings on the software jump up and down wildly. I figure I'm getting overtones as the tine moves -- or maybe even sympathetic vibrations from adjacent tines. If I look at the wave form readout, I can see several waves of different frequencies. I tried putting the harp down and hitting the tine with the hammer tip -- and then releasing the note quickly so the damper will deaden the sound before overtones ring out.  That didn't seem to work any better.

The software offer several different methods - meter, strobe, waveform etc.  Any suggestions for a different method to use (either with the software or in how I am triggering the tine) that would make my lower register tuning more accurate?

Thanks,

Alan