I have avoided chiming in on this topic forever, but here goes... Yes,absoulutly, if you take a punch or whatever and your 3 lb. stringing hammer and swing for the fence you will mess up the bridge,string and bridge pin. I don't think anyone, ever, has suggested that. Yes, absolutely, in my 46 years experience, I have seen a zillion times, evidence of a loss of contact between the string and the bridge. Even if you can't see it you can hear it. For instance, while tuning and you find that unisons that don't want to perfectly focus, lightly,LIGHTLY...I repeat, lightly (I use a hammershank and the head of the little machinist hammer that goes into the multi-tool handle. The handle broke off years ago so all that is left is the little thimble sized head.) move the string back where it belongs. Not setting, not tapping, just coaxing the string and bridge back into contact. If the light is right you can actually see the string move that tiny amount. And you can certainly hear what has happened as well. The unison you just tuned will have dropped in pitch significantly. Tune the unison again and repeat the coaxing. Little if any change can be heard. So what's goin' on. Either the string has "walked" up the pin" or the sb or bridge has shrunk to cause the gap. Well respected members of this list (way smarter than I) say that that can't happen. Something happens for sure and I don't much care what it is. This "coaxing" cleans up and focus's my unisons. I hear it, my faculty hears is. It is very real, not placebo effect. (gimme a break) Paul E. Dempsey, RPT Piano Technician Sr. Marshall University Huntington, WV 304-696-5418 304-617-1149
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