Bass strings in Overdrive!

[harvey]

Time! 

Brian, as is the case with all lists with new people joining, many subjects
have not only been covered... they've been downright exploited. You just
hit on one topic that is almost older than dirt. It has been covered so
many times it should be in a FAQ by now. 

Pianotech might now be considered a "mature" list (in years anyway). We are
fortunate to have an archival system in place for new-comers and hopefully,
for future generations of technicians to use as a reference base.

In case this sounds like a flame, I assure you it isn't. Rather, it takes
far more thought (and words) to properly answer a question than it does to
originate one. The earlier responses to this topic are typically well
written, and based on years of combined experience. No new ground-breaking
information about broken bass strings has come to the forefront since the
last round of discussions.

I would therefore suggest first pointing your browser to:
http://www.webcom.com/wind/ptsearch.html

Search for "broken", "bass string", "gospel damage" (my own version of
politically correct) or whatever. No doubt any combination of appropriate
words will produce multiple hits on the search engine. 

If you then have additional questions, we're here... 



At 10:20 PM 4/7/99 -0400, you wrote:
>I've experienced two pianos (different name brands) with the same
>problem.  They break bass string after bass string after bass string...
>
>They are both very normal in the way they're strung, not excessive side
>bearing at the bridge, not excessive angles of deflection at the
>agraffes.  I service quite a number or other pianos of the same model
>and none of them have this problem.
>
>The thing they have in common is that they are both in (forgive me if I
>don't quite say this in a politically correct way, I mean no disrespect)
>black Baptist churches, and both get the living daylights pounded out of
>them week after week.
>
>Both pianos have had complete new sets of bass strings installed,
>neither of which I did, but the strings broke just the same.
>
>So I did the unthinkable, the unspeakable, the horrible and unforgivable
>to one of them.  I regulated it so that the bass end of the piano has
>the letoff set at about 1/2 inch from the strings, and a very heavy
>aftertouch.  It's really not as obnoxious as it sounds to play, but it
>worked wonders for breaking strings.  Instead of breaking a string or
>two in a week or two, we're down to a string or two every quarter or so.
>
>What I want to know,... what can I do to make the strings less likely to
>break under such severe working conditions??  Could the string scale be
>redesigned to be less vulnerable? as in a higher or lower tension?
>
>Ok, ok, I'll tell you what they are... one is a Baldwin 5'? grand, and
>the other is a Samick 5'? grand.  Baldwin hasn't been any real help, not
>to say they didn't try.  They sent a new set of strings to install.  But
>we still had the problem.  I hate 'deregulating' it to accomplish an end
>result of saving the strings, but what else would you try???
>
>I look forward to your input!
>
>Thanks,
>
>Brian Trout


Jim Harvey, RPT
Greenwood, SC
harvey@greenwood.net