strings cannot be tuned!

[Wimblees@aol.com]

In a message dated 97-01-16 21:36:44 EST, you write:

>I service a Howard Grand piano. The owner told me when I started
>tuning for him that there were three notes in  the upper treble that would
>not stay in tune . He mentioned that there had been a string or two replaced
>on those notes so I thought it must be going out of tune before the rest of
>the piano because of the new strings streaching . However, I had a terible
>time tuning these notes . they are the G6 , G#6 , and A6 . The G and G# are
>the two notes to the Left of the highest plate strut and the A
>is to the Right of the strut . Each time I would tune these notes a good
test
>blow would knock them out again. Even trying to anticipates how much the
test
>blow would drop the
>pitch of the note did not help. After about 15 minutes on these three notes
I
>was somehow able to stabalize them and the owner said they stayed in tune
>longer than usual. On my next visit it was even worse . I must have spent 20
>minutes trying to tune these notes and when they were stabalized the unisons
>did not match well.
>
>       The bridge looks fine and the coils on the tuning pin looks good. I
>suspect because the notes are all beside each other and they are on either
>side of a plate strut that the problem is not in the strings but in the
>structure of the piano in this area . only these notes are a problem . Does
>anyone have any ideas as to what might be going on here
>I would greatly appreciate any input anyone might have
>
>
>                               Russell Schmidt R.P.T.
>
>                                Lexington , KY
>
>


Look very carefully at the plate struts and see if you can see a crack in the
plate. It might be hidden, and not noticeable to the naked eye. If that is
the problem, unless the customer is willing to have the plate welded, which
mean removing the plate, and then restringing, the piano will never stay in
tune, and it could explode at any time.

Willem Blees RPT
St. Louis.