The Worst Piano Tuning Hammer Kit on the Internet

Kevin Busse Nov 12, 2024
29 People Read
Worst Piano Tuning Kit on the internet

Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase. 

I was in shock when I opened this tuning kit and snorted in a burst of laughter when I saw the tuning hammer in person.

I shared the photos of this kit with my technician friends who described it as:

  • "Mini!"

  • "Cute"

  • "Adorable"

  • "Very demure"

  • "For Elves"

There's a new joke now that this "tuning kit" has become the latest victim of shrinkflation! Inflation has finally hit the marketplace for piano tools!

What's inside the worst piano tuning kit on the internet?

Small Tuning Kit

Here's what's included in the tuning kit:

  • A "Tuning Hammer" (best used as a paper weight)

  • 4 long rubber mutes

  • 2 miniature mutes with handles

  • 1 low quality "one size fits all" temperament strip

  • 1 pouch unsuitable for the professional

I must say that the mutes at least are useable, but the rest of the kit (tuning hammer, pouch, temperament strip) is better suited for a landfill. Or, better as a home decoration.

The World's Smallest Piano Tuning Hammer

smallest piano tuning hammer

This is a fake piano tuning hammer that's better categorized as a decoration.

This "tuning lever" will make you a bad tuner, your piano worse, less stable, and could injure your hand, wrist and shoulder!

If you purchase this kit, let me know because I think this "tool" is absolutely hilarious, I can always use a good laugh!

fake piano tuning hammer

The handle of this tool is made out of plastic, not even wood!

It shows how cheap this decorative piece is, though, I do like to keep it on my desk as humorous decor.



The worst piano tuning temperament strip

"Why is this temperament strip bad?"

Well, it may be "just fine" for beginners, but it comes in this kit in a "one size fits all fashion." Professional piano tuners ought to know which thickness of temperament strip they prefer.

Lastly, you can't verify whether the material is 100% wool or not, it simply doesn't say!

Temperament strip

What sizes of temperament strip are there?

Professional piano tuning tool warehouses produce different thicknesses of temperament strips.

  • Standard - .165" thick

  • Thin - .135" thick

  • Extra Thin .115" thick

Each has their own specific purpose for different widths of string spacing found across a variety of pianos.

Why does temperament strip thickness matter?

Consider the following scenarios where this temperament strip may not serve its purpose

Too Thick: Impossible to fit in between string spaces, takes too long to fix in position, overall impractical for everyday use.

Too Thin: The temperament strip won't mute off the strings properly, falls out of place, and will force you to use the rest of the rubber mutes in your tool kit during tuning.

At the end of the day, you really don't know whether this temperament strip will be suitable for your needs. Only until after you've purchased the kit will you find out!

Why are rubber piano tuning mutes an inferior good in the piano world?

Rubber Mutes

First, let's look at the bright side. These rubber mutes are useable for just about any piano technician, though they are often seen as an inferior good to piano professionals.

Felt mutes are often seen as a superior quality mute likely due to it's traditional appearance.

Tradition plays an important role in the piano industry and contributes to the reasoning behind why rubber mutes are seen as inferior.

Rubber mutes with handle

The handles that come along with the miniature rubber mutes are too large.

The result of this is that this muting tool as a whole will feel "off-balance."

What I mean by this is that when the mute is between the piano strings, the handle will lean quite dramatically and weigh down the mute, causing it to be less effective when muting strings.

Constant repositioning of the mute may be required due to the over-sized handle which pries the mute away from where the tuner had it positioned.

The Worst Piano Tuning Kit Pouch

Black Pouch

This pouch is like a generic goodie bag for just about anything, though not specifically for piano tools!

Though it can keep all the "tools" together, there's no specific reason why this pouch should carry piano technician tools.

It's best to take care of your tools and place them in a kit that holds your piano tools securely. Specific tools should be stored so that they don't bump into each other during storage.


That's about all I have to say about the Worst Piano Tuning Hammer Kit on the Internet!

Please only consider purchasing this as a gag, a joke, or a souvenir/decoration. You deserve better for your first tuning kit!

Thank you for reading,

Kevin :)

Related:

Piano Tuning Hammer Reviews/Articles

Disclosure:  Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase.