[CAUT] pre-stretching new string?

[Conrad Hoffsommer]

Cauterized folks,

I gotsta disagree a bit with my friend Herr Brekne. It seems 
counterintuitive to make a kink on a string that will later move across 
a bearing point, and my recent experience might be anecdotal, but it 
seemed to work for me.

I just had to do a string replacement the same day as a guest recital 
for a music educator's conference we had here.

Monday morning, I got back to my room to find a post-it note saying 
EMERGENCY!. Hamburg D had popped a string on G#6.  The left (tied) 
string of loop and tie unison. Artist said he was practicing until noon, 
so I said, "I'll be back". [Austrian accent, of course]

Went back at noon with pre-made loop in hand, installed and proceeded to 
try to make it stable before 8PM recital.
-tucked German tie tail under other strings between hitchpin and 
aliquot, after being sure that I'd made the coil in the right direction 
to force the tail flat against the plate. (the other way would have had 
the tail climbing the strut)
-made tuning coil tight
-pushed in becket
-seated hitch loop
-pulled up to pitch
-spaced strings
-pushed down on section between hitch and aliquot to have string come 
off straight in both directions
-used needle nose to make similar adjustments to string on both sides of 
the bridge
-pushed down on counterbearing section to form that kink
-pulled new string up to level unison
-pulled back to pitch
-pushed string sideways as it comes off tuning pin
-pulled string a little sharp (nothing scientific, just what seemed right)

Came back at 6PM and touched up what was then real close. Did not stay 
for Chopin.

Went home.

Next morning, came in and checked. Just a fuzzy unison. Touched it up. 
Two master classes on it yesterday.

I just checked this morning and found a very clean unison.

I guess I did something right... ;-}

Or did I forget a step?

Or have I committed a bad, bad sin?

Conrad


Richard Brekne wrote:
> In reply to the comments about bending the wire around the bridge 
> pin....  I have to agree with Ron N's statement about throwing away the 
> string stretcher.  At least if its going to be used to do anything like 
> this.  I have never understood the reasoning behind this idea.  It would 
> make some sense I suppose if the kink made had something close to a 
> static position relative to the bridge pin... but it doesnt really. And 
> how is the perceived need for this procedure justified ? There is 
> nothing beyond what I guess I'd have to call suspicion behind these 
> ideas.  The only reasoning I've read hear and other places that looks at 
> any of the mechanics involved really point in the other direction... 
> that one is bound to damage the bridge pin hole surface area, that the 
> kink will move around anyways, and that the wire will conform to the 
> termination all it ever needs to do just by virtue of the tension 
> applied to it. 
> 
> When I use my string stretcher... its in the middle of the string... and 
> I push in a direction away from the bridge pin... not towards it. 
> 
> I noticed another little tidbit just the other day pulling up tension on 
> the back scale.  That little click noise often heard in new pianos we 
> associate with the need to seat strings. I heard the exact same noise 
> quite often on an older D. I'm wondering whether or not what we are 
> hearing is the string breaking the friction hold and rendering through 
> the pins.  I'm also wondering whether or not the perceived benefit has 
> more to do with the resultant relative tension levels of the string at 
> the three segments involved... speaking length, bridge surface span, and 
> backlength.
> 
> As far as stretching for stability is concerned.  I do this because I 
> notice it works to some degree. But I push away from the bridge pins 
> both fore and aft of the bridge. I also squeeze the backlengths of the 
> new string together a bit with some wide flat faced nose pliers, and 
> squeeze the coil as Ed mentioned.  Regardless however.. I always end up 
> needing to pull the string up to pitch again the next day.  I can get a 
> string to hold through a concert if I have to... but seems like there is 
> no way of getting around the need to come back at the string after a day 
> or two.
> 
> Cheers
> RicB
> 
>