Cleaning Gone Bad

[Stephen F Schell]

Dear John and List,


                                                                       I once tried, as a wacky experiment, to clean some old bass strings which
were about to be replaced anyway. I took off several and dipped them in
Tarn-x brand metal cleaner. You know, the stuff they used to show
dissolving corrosion like magic on copper pennies on those TV
commercials.


                       The experiment was only successful in that it removed all traces of tone from those strings. They stiffened up like dead
gopher snakes.


          My best guess is that this Kawai is due for a new set of bass strings.

                                            Steve Schell

                                        stfrsc@juno.com
On Fri, 14 Mar 1997 08:27:11 -0500 jpiesik@arinc.com writes:
>     Dear List,
>
>     A very good client of mine "cleaned" her 1971 KG-2 Kawai grand
>which
>     is (was) in excellent condition.
>
>     During her zealous attempt at cleaning she scratched the
>soundboard,
>     bent the damper wires, loosened the windings on several bass
>strings,
>     and polished the strings with liquid metal polish!
>
>     Several bass string windings now rattle, and several bass strings
>are
>     dead (loaded up with polish).
>
>     Is there a reasonable way to restore the original bass strings,
>or is
>     it time to replace them? (She's willing, but reluctant to replace
>
>     them.)
>
>     I may be able to eliminate the rattles by twisting. But I'm not
>sure
>     twisting them will get rid of the deadness caused by the polish.
>And
>     won't the polish that is now on/in the strings be a permanent
>magnet
>     for dust and dirt, continually causing the bass strings to go
>dead
>     over the years? Have you ever encountered something like this?
>
>     What would you suggest?
>
>     Thank you,
>
>     John Piesik, RPT
>