bass strings breaking!

[Wimblees@aol.com]

In a message dated 97-01-28 15:15:13 EST, you write:

>hello all,
>             well i have been reading now for a week and find it very
>interesting on all the solutions to problems we encounter being piano
>technicians.Im writing for a problem im having with a baldwin acrosonic, i
>tuned this piano about 8 months ago and the customer called me back about 3
>months ago saying on how i broke 3 of her bass strings,so i went to the
house
>took out the old ones and replaced them,now she says they broke again,of
>course i charged her. so now im telling her to change all the bass strings
to
>a more heavy duty type of bass string! can anyone tell me if they had this
>experience like this were bass strings just brake,she says it happens when
>when they are not playing the piano,i did ask if her teacher plays hard on
>the piano,but she says her children go for lessons and the teacher does not
>come to the home. it just seems odd how these strings just pop and im being
>blamed.if anyone has any info it would be greatly appreciated!
>                             sincerly jptuner



"JP"

Bass strings do not break by themselves, unless they are rusty. The customer
is not telling you that someone is banging very hard on the piano. Maybe she
doesn't know that her kids bang on the piano.

There are no "heavy duty" bass strings. Strings are made to fit the scale, a
specific thickness, combined with length and tension makes them the pitch
they are, and not much can be done to change that.

The only solution to keep strings from breaking, is to reduce the hammer blow
distance, and reducing the key dip. Both will prevent the hammer from
striking the string hard. You will have to adjust the lost motion to
compensate for the reduced hammer blow.

By all means, do not allow the customer to blame you for the strings
breaking, especially if you are not there when it happens. Someone is
breaking them by playing too hard. Unless, as I daid, they are rusty.

Good luck

Willem Blees RPT
St. Louis

Ps. By the way, who are you and where are you from?