Strings riding up (was Tuning stability)

[Richard Brekne]

Hi Folks... just in for a quickie on sunday nite and had to reply to 
this as its one of my favorite subjects.

Next time you run into one of those strings that <<need tapping>> or for 
whatever reasons find itself up the pins a bit and slightly removed from 
the bridge, do the following.

Loosen the string and pull it off the back bridge pin so the it runs a 
straight line over the bridge instead of weaving through the bridge 
pins.  Leave the string where it is usually relative to the front bridge 
pin.  Then bring it up to tension and take real close look at the 
interface between the bridge and string.  If there is contact all the 
way, then you have positive bearing and tapping the string would have 
lasting effect.  If on the other hand there is no contact then you have 
the situation Ron Nossaman goes on about, which David Love echoed in his 
last post.

Some would have it that when the strings find themselves up the pins as 
it were.. that the later is always the case.  My experience is othewise 
and I find tapping a usefull proceedure when used judiciously and 
carefully.  And even in the case of the latter... tapping can be a 
usefull tool in cleaning up a pianos sound for short term situations 
such as concerts, recording sessions... etc.

Cheers

RicB

Ed Sutton wrote:

> Of course, neither of us has definitive documented proof of our 
> positions.  I, at least, do not.  While this discussion might seem too 
> abstract to warrant this amount of time and space on this list, it 
> disturbs me to think that the information we disseminate might not be 
> as solid as we would like to believe.  Of course, the other disturbing 
> thought is that I might be totally wrong and that my subscribing 
> privileges haven't yet been revoked!
>
> David Skolnik
> Where is that student with the high-speed video project who was 
> mentioned during our MOI discussions?
> We need some high speed microsopic videos of string terminations in 
> action!
>  
> Ed Sutton