[CAUT] Thank you for Stability advice

[Michael Magness]

On Sun, Feb 7, 2010 at 11:08 PM, Dr. Henry Nicolaides
<drsnic4 at hotmail.com>wrote:

> Ok, so now I am a bit confused.  Hopefully the strings do not need/require
> seating.  But, if they do...well why not?  I have mixed adivce/opinions but
> in my limited 40 year experience(s) most of the time there is an audible
> improvement as well as improving stability.  I am under the impression that
> one can over do the seating process and certainly the overall bearing is a
> consideration.  We have a new Baldwin SF (about 5years new) that had similar
> issues and notable almost zero bearing.  You could almost see the bridge
> under the strings as they crossed the bridge.  And the professor remarked
> "what did you do...it sounds so much better".   The tuning frequency has
> also decreased.   Any similar experiences, comments, or opinions.
>
> Henry Nicolaides
> Piano Technician, School of Music
> Southern Illinois University
> Carbondale, Illinois
>
> > From: dianepianotuner at msn.com
> > To: caut at ptg.org
> > Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 15:01:42 -0800
> > Subject: [CAUT] Thank you for Stability advice
>
> >
> >
> > Thank you all for your excellent suggestions for achieving stability on
> the new Kawai UST-9's!
> >
> > I am particularly fascinated with the idea of doing all the pitch raises
> first, then coming back to tune and doing all the tunings. This is a good
> way of using my body efficiently, as the needs of the tuning and the pitch
> raise are different. Also, the timing couldn’t be better for this approach
> (you must all be musicians!), because next weekend is a four day weekend
> with no classes so I will have excellent access.
> >
> > I am also grateful for the advice to not tap the strings on the bridge—I
> didn’t want to do that, but was grasping at straws, trying to find a way to
> get those pianos sounding good.
> >
> > For all of you, who are worrying about my personal welfare, ThankYou.
> Financially I’m doing ok on this job. After 32 years of tuning, I have
> finally found a GREAT College to work for. They have high priorities for
> quality and I believe my competitive bid was the highest. I also believe I
> have a colleague to thank for a great recommendation, as well as a year and
> a half tuning their Boesendorfer Imperial in the new music center as
> evidence I can tune.
> >
> > Yesterday the security guard told me, that if the debate team tries to
> get back into the room, I should simply tell them to go to another building
> and find a room—the piano tuning is too important!
> >
> > Diane Hofstetter
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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With flame suit tightly wrapped I will once again enter this fray, only to
say when I was shown how to "seat" strings on a bridge it was with a hammer
shank or small piece of brass.
The idea of the hammer shank was that since you are tapping on a string with
the end grain of the wood, if you tap too hard, the shank will split prior
to causing any damage.
The brass, again if one used a small hammer, here is where I got over
enthusiastic and used a larger hammer, never again!

I do not practice this as a go to technique any more but rather as a last
resort and if I do, not directly on the bridge but about an inch or more
into the speaking length or tail, more of a coaxing rather than driving
directly down on the wire against the bridge.

Can't recall the last time I've done it.

Mike

-- 
I intend to live forever. So far, so good.
Steven Wright


Michael Magness
Magness Piano Service
608-786-4404
www.IFixPianos.com
email mike at ifixpianos.com
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