Breaking bass strings

[k.swafford@genie.geis.com]

     I was called into a local church-with-a-long-name a few weeks
ago.  They have a 22 year-old Yamaha G3; they recently got a new
pianist, and more recently started experiencing broken bass strings,
and, of course, are blaming the breakage on the previous piano tuner
(who they say may have "over-stressed" the strings during tuning).
Since I was called in as the highly-recommended "expert", I may be
able to get the church to do what needs to be done, but I have to
remember that I was called because the church wanted someone to fix
the situation, not because they wanted someone to lecture or otherwise
educate them.  Maybe it will work out.
     What I want to add to this discussion of breaking strings in
churches, is that it is EXTREMELY good practice to replace both
strings when one string of a two string unison breaks.  You'll have a
better chance of the two strings of the unison matching and being
tunable with each other, and the two strings will settle in together
so you can avoid the wildly out of tune unison that comes when only
one string is new and settling in.  AND, there is an added benefit, as
actually happened to me Monday, when the pianist breaks the second
string of a unison before the first string could be replaced, and the
church calls you up to tell you of "another broken string," since
you ordered both strings you can show up at the church a bit later
with replacements for both strings and play the part of the prescient
hero.


                                             Kent Swafford