Broken Strings

[Les Smith]

On Fri, 20 Feb 1998 PDtek@aol.com wrote:

> 
> While we are on the subject, I would be curious to know what others do with a
> broken plain wire, reuse the wire or replace it? Do you charge for return
> trips to retune the string? Mute it till next tuning? How about bass strings?
> Do you use universal bass strings and on what quality of piano?

On the subject of plain wire replacements, I have a question I don't think
I've seen addressed before. The problem, of course. is that the new wire
is rapidly going to stretch out and go flat, which is really going to be a
bummer if the note in question happens to be in the middle of the keyboard
where it's played all the time. Tuning it sharp and muting it until the
next tuning is certainly a possibility, but the note is really going to
sound weak if only one string of a three sring unison is left sounding.
My question is: How effective are those wheel-type string-stretchers and
is there anyone out there using them with any regularity in situations
like this? Thanks.

Les Smith