String Levelling

[Bill Ballard]

>Bill Ballard wrote:
>> One person in fact suggested that what those of us
>> talking about string voicing problems were hearing were actually string
>> termination problems.

>For the most part, they are string termination problems. Or, more
>correctly, they are
>problems that can most often be traced to the design of the string
>termination system
>found in that specific piano. Unfortunately, this knowledge doesn't help
>much when
>confronting a piano with a lot of nasty string noises. The practical
>solution in Mrs.
>Jones living room is to bring the strings into an acceptable degree of
>level, not redesign
>the plate.
>
>-- ddf

For starters, Del, let me  repeat, I'm curled up like a kid at his
granpappy's feet anytime you contribute something to this discussion.

Over my breakfast oatmeal this morning, I tried to find the post I was
thinking of when I wrote that line. I couldn't and so I was ready to
apologize for issuing such a falsehood. But I guess I flushed you out.

>In fact, some piano designs using agraffes from
>the same manufacturer have string termination problems requiring much
>string fussing and
>leveling and others do not. There are ways to design out most of the
>common string
>termination buzzes, whistles, twangs, etc.

When the manufacturer's diligence has spared us these "common string
termination buzzes, whistles, twangs, etc." we are grateful. However the
whine of unlevel strings still  lies ahead. If I were to describe it as a
string termination problem, I would call it a matter of the "terminatee"
(the curling wire) which is independant of the "terminator" (aggraphe,
pressure bar, capo, whatever).

Bill Ballard, RPT
New Hampshire Chapter, PTG

"No one builds the *perfect* piano, you can only remove the obstacles to
that perfection during the building."    ...........LaRoy Edwards