In a message dated 6/10/98 10:58:09 AM EST, jgrassi@silverlink.net writes: << Unfortunately I have a client who had something spilled on the bass strings of her 10 yr. old Kawai GS-40. Now about 2/3 of the strings are ruined. Which brings up a couple of questions for me in replacing them. 1) Since the piano is only 10 yrs. old, would it still be a good idea to replace them all so there will be no noticeable difference between the new and the old? I've only replaced bass strings on old pianos and the difference would have been obvious. 2) Should tension be let down on the whole piano to replace so many bass strings? Is there a preferred way of doing this? 3.) How many follow up visits should I expect to make before these new strings will be stable again? In the past, I've done this on pianos in the shop and didn't have to worry about additional trips to the customer who was trying to play on the piano every day. Thanks to you all in advance. Any suggestions a/o comments are greatly appreciated. Jeannie Grassi, RPT jgrassi@silverlink.net Bainbridge Island, WA >> Hi Jeannie, 1)I had a fifteen year old KG7 that had the "real thing" (Classic Coke) spilled on a section of about ten strings. I replaced the ones directly affected and they blended with the existing strings pretty well. In your case with so many ruined it may be physically easier to replace the set but I don't think blending will be a problem. I would just replace the ones that are ruined. 2) I would not worry about letting the tension down on the rest of the piano. If you are worried about the tension thing, just replace a few at a time. It will save time stabilizing the piano later. 3) This is hard to answer, it depends on the customer to some degree and how sensitive they are to the bass being out of tune. I would suggest seating the strings at the hitch pins, coils, and termination points really thoroughly, then tuning them and pounding them firmly as possible. I would suggest at least three return trips and be prepared for six or even nine, again depending on the customer. Best, Dale Probst Registered Piano Technician Ward & Probst, Inc. Piano & Organ Service Wichita Falls, TX
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC