[CAUT] Mapes single bass string...

[Ken Zahringer]

Hey, Alan,

Before I started at MU, I did a fair bit of rebuilding work for a dealer,
mainly stringing.  We used to get all our strings from Mapes and I loved
them.  Then about 6-7 years ago we started having problems, mainly 1 or 2
strings in each set being dead when brought up to tension.  We asked some
questions, and apparently one of the old boys had recently retired.  Shortly
after that I met James Arledge at convention.  I haven't bought sets of
strings anywhere else since.  I get my singles from Schaff now; I don't know
if they make their own or get them from Mapes.  I have noticed some where
the measurements were obviously not exactly right, but I've always been able
to make them work.  It seems like this usually happens when I take
measurements from a neighbor string under tension, because the broken string
is long gone, and they don't figure the elongation correctly.  Either that
or I just figured I messed up taking the measurements.  Anyway, my
preference now is to splice the old string whenever possible, and replace
only when absolutely necessary.  Then I know it will fit.

Ken Z.

On 10/3/05 7:32 PM, "Alan Crane" <alan.crane@wichita.edu> wrote:

> I'm frustrated (and its past quitting time on a Monday...)...
> 
> Here at WSU, we have an 1898 Steinway grand in one of the practice rooms.
> Recently, a bass single-string decided to break at the speaking-side
> bridge pin (of all places!).
> 
> I'd been ordering replacement strings from Arledge and was very
> pleased with the results (albeit at $30 or so per string incl. shipping).
> I decided to order this one from Mapes and, rather than trusting them
> to have a scale stick for something that old, I phoned in the
> measurements I'd taken with my Arledge tape measure and micrometer:
> 
> Hitch to speaking bridge pin:   138mm           what I got back
> was:    135mm to the beginning of the wrap!
> Hitch to agraffe:               1341mm  what I got back
> was     1474mm to the end of the winding!
> 
> Well, I looked at the flyer that came with the string they sent and
> noticed that Mapes wants different measurements than Arledge...
> no surprise except that they never said anything on the phone when I
> gave them the measurements the first time so I just assumed that they
> were comfortable with that data format.
> 
> Instead of asking that they make another string gratis, I just phoned
> in another order for the same string but, this time, gave the
> measurements they requested in their flyer:
> 
> Hitch to winding:               5 3/4 inches    what I got back
> was     5 1/4 inches  (which doesn't quite clear the bridge pin)
> Length of winding:              45 5/8
> inches           "               40 3/4 inches  (hitch to end of
> winding was 46 1/8 inches)
> ** also, this time the core dia. had dropped from .049" to .047"
>          and the outer wrap O.D. (which on the first replacement was
> the correct .178") was anywhere from .055" to .064" along the length
> of the winding.
> 
> I know some of you out there have no problems ordering from Mapes and
> I'd like to patronize them now & then too.
> Their turn-around time is very short... (I'd like to say I like their
> strings too but I haven't been able to install one yet...).
> I just need to know what I'm doing wrong here.
> Any hints??
> 
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Alan B. Crane,  RPT
> School of Music
> Wichita State University
> alan.crane@wichita.edu
> 
> _______________________________________________
> caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives

-- 
Ken Zahringer, RPT
Piano Technician
MU School of Music
297 Fine Arts
882-1202
cell 489-7529