strings o spinet

[Clyde Hollinger]

Michael Jorgensen wrote:
> 
> Speaking of non traditional coils, I know an old Story and Clark grand
> with only 3/4 turn around the pin on a bass string with a good sharp
> bend at the becket.  This holds fine and has been like that for atleast
> a dozen years.  

If a string breaks at the coil on an old mostly-worn-out upright I'm
tuning, usually in the high treble somewhere, I usually unwind enough
wire off the other tuning pin to re-use the same string.  I usually end
up with 1 or 1 1/4 coils on each pin.  And yes, the tuning seems to hold
just fine.  I do this because it won't go out of tune as drastically as
a new string, I'm not very good at knots, and I think it's faster and
therefore less cost for the client.  But I do wonder sometimes -- is
this considered poor craftsmanship, considering what kind of pianos I do
this in?

Clyde Hollinger