Piano Tuning Lever Tip Shape

Wonder what shape tip you need for your piano tuning lever? While at first glance, you piano pins most likely appear to be square, however this is not the case. Pins are actually tapered (with flat sides), slightly toward the tip of the pin, on pianos made within the past 100 years. These pins require a standard No. 2 star tuning tip (the default tip on most levers). A truly square pin, which is very, very rare, would appear with four perfectly even sides and no taper. Levers with a square or oblong tip also available--email us for any special requests.

In sum, excluding the rare exceptions, you will want a star tip on your tuning hammer, not a square one. Furthermore, the star shape permits you to set the tuning hammer in the best position. You want the tuning lever to be positioned nearly vertical or inclining slightly to the right. This is not always possible with piano tuning hammers that have a square opening.

Example of a star tuning tip.