Glen_Deligdisch@sil.org wrote: > Now my additional questions. > > I talked to one of the techs in our guild and his conclusion was that > the piano has already been restrung once. > > 1. When one comes to a given piano, are there any quick ways one can > determine whether the piano has been restrung before? I know that pin > size is a quick give away, but at 2/0 it is not so clear. > > 2. Does the lack of any half gage strings point one to a poor string > scale? > > 3. What does one do if you suspect the scale is wrong because of the > evidence of prior work or poor sound? I have noted on the list that > several of you have programs to figure out acceptable scales. I am > new at all of this and find the idea of rescaling a pretty weighty > issue liability wise. Yet, a poor end result eats at me as well. > > Ok, now I will sit back and listen. Thanks again for the help ahead > of time. > > Glen > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > Glen and Ruth Deligdisch > P.O. Box 248 > Waxhaw, NC 28173 > > Tel: (704) 843-9089 > > E-mail: Glen_Deligdisch@SIL.ORG - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1) Not really. Especially not if the work has been done well. There are some general indications, of course, but no guarantees. If most of the pianos of similar vintage that you service have slightly corroded, dull strings and this one has bright clean strings you might have a clue. If the original scale sequence is written either on the bridge or on the plate, you might notice if there is any discrepancy between that and the actual string sizes that you take off. Oversize pins can be an indication, but even back then I suspect that there was a factory or two that used 3/0 or 4/0 pins on occasion. Factory managers are human (most of them, anyway). Even in the "good old days" they knew where their bread and jam came from and it didn't come from tearing down pianos to replace pinblocks just because the wood was a bit loose or the drilling was a bit large. (You didn't think that oversize tuning pins were developed for the benefit of the piano rebuilder, did you?) And, as you've noted, if the piano was originally strung with a pin that was smaller than the now "standard" 2/0 (0.281") it could have been restrung along the way with 2/0's and you'd never know the difference. If the piano was built prior to the 1950's and it has nickel plated pins, it has been restrung. I don't know exactly when the curse of nickel plated pins was foisted on the industry, but it was about then. 2) In general, yes. But this is true of nearly every scale ever put on a piano. There are a very few pianos being built today with really good stringing scales, but they're in a pretty small minority. Having been fussing with stringing scales for about twenty years now, I still haven't yet found an original stringing scale that couldn't be improved. And that includes a few pianos that have been built within the past ten years. About half-sizes: please don't simply develop the habit of simply inserting the half-sizes along the way as you restring. This may no be no improvement at all. It certainly won't give you the improvement you're after. 3) One measures the string lengths (that is, the speaking length--from the centerline of the bridge pin line to the c/l of the agraffe/V-bar, or as close to those points as you can get) and the string diameters (with the wound strings you'll need the diameters of both the core wire and the overall diameter of the wrap). Then you calculate. If you don't yet know how to do this work your self, you hire someone who does. There are several people around who have the requisite knowledge and experience to do good rescaling work. Most will be happy to do the job in exchange for money. As far as liability is concerned, I suppose that there is some possibility causing damage by rescaling. Certainly in the early days of rescaling work--way back there in the seventies--there was. If the work is done correctly, the overall scale scale load on the plate will be no higher than it was originally. In fact, the rescaler should be watching the loading through each section so as to not appreciably alter the overall load balance on the plate from the original. To do this work well does requires some knowledge of the structure of the piano. Just possessing an appropriate computer program is not, by itself, enough. Good luck Delwin D Fandrich Piano Designer & Builder PianoBuilders/NW 724 Levee Street Hoquiam, WA 98550 Phone 360.532-6688 Fax 360.532-6582 E.mail pianobuilders@olynet.com
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