[CAUT] When to restring...

[David Love]

I don't have problems with agraffe noise and I always replace them in
restringing jobs and lightly ream with the tool mentioned before.  I don't
do the polishing routine but have and could not hear a difference.  As I
mentioned before, I prefer to change old agraffes because they're more prone
to breaking regardless of how nicely you shape holes.  

With capo bars I do take care to produce a good shape and modify
counterbearing areas where I see problems.  Steinways are odd this way in
that the counterbearing angle varies quite a bit between different models.
The older screwed on counterbearing bars that you find on pre 1900 pianos,
for example, were fairly long but the angle is much steeper and it can work
out quite well.  I often don't replace those but have with brass half round
moved up closer to the bar to shorten and detune the duplex scale there.
More recent vintages, especially B's and D's can have long but quite shallow
angles leaving the capo bar and I have lots of problems there.  In that case
I'll modify as I see fit.  

David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com



I am curious though, how many techs out there find noisy 
agraffes to be a problem, and if anyone but the tech hears it. 
The zingers in the capo section, typically at unison(s) with 
the longest front duplex(es) are discussed endlessly on both 
lists and have been since the beginning. For a rampant problem 
that's worth at least two hours of  - someone's - time to 
avoid, it seems odd to me that there is so very little mention 
of it in the archives.

Ron N