strings o spinet

Christopher D. Purdy purdy@oak.cats.ohiou.edu
Tue, 10 Nov 1998 18:18:39 -0500 (EST)


>Yesterday I had to relace string on a Wurlitzer spinet, around F#4.  The
>problem I had was with the pin directly above the pressure bar...I could
>not get my coil lifter/string spacer tool between the pins. The pins are
>packed quite closely in this area of the piano.
>
>Even my thinest screwdriver didn't help much.  Needless to say, the coil
>was BAD, BAD, BAD!  Has any one developed some sort of tool or technique
>for this situation?
>--
>
>Frank Cahill
>Associate Member
>Northern Va

frank,

the only worse you can get is maybe A-O thru C-1. same problem, bigger
wire.  i'm not sure from your post how you made the coil so i will give you
a couple of generic pointers.

did you make your coil outside the piano using a dummy pin?  the better you
make the coil on your first pass the fewer problems you will have dressing
it up.  sometimes in those tight pressure bar situations it is hard to even
use a dummy.  sometimes after carefully measuring and cutting the new
string you can take the hitch pin end off and pull yourself a little slack
through while you wind the coil.  pulling the string back and forth thru
the pressure bar like that is not great for the new string but sometimes
you gotta do what you gotta do.

as for tools, i recently made a tool with an old screwdriver that works
pretty well.  with a table grinder i sharpened the end a little, rounded
out the end (concave is the only way i can describe it), and then in the
vise bent the end about 45 degrees so i could reach in and pull up some of
the pesky coils.  it's similar to a standard coil lifter, just more
compact.  actually i have modified my standard coil lifter too.

also, in some cases you can use a stringing hook by pulling up on the
string just where it leaves the coil but that only works so well.

hope some of this gibberish helps,
chris

-Christopher D. Purdy R.P.T.   School of Music  Ohio University  Athens OH

-purdy@oak.cats.ohiou.edu   (740) 593-1656    fax# (740) 593-1429




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