Weird Strings

[Terry Beckingham]

Hi list,

I have just finished reconditioning a 1948 40" Willis Console. This included
new plain wire, new tuning pins and a new bass bridge as the old one was
split wide open.

I re-used the original bass strings. After bringing the piano up to pitch it
became evident that some of the bass strings were dead sounding and one had
a very strange beating in it. I put an extra twist in the dead sounding
strings. This made the strings more lively but produced a noticeable beating
at the 5th partial in these strings. All are bichords. These strings beat at
the 5th partial 3-4 times per second. The beats cannot be tuned out.  

The lowest string is the right hand string of F#2. The left hand string does
not exhibit this beating. Other notes affected are G2, and D#3 which is
located on the lower end of the treble bridge. Both strings in the last two
notes are affected.

I cannot say whether or not these notes exhibited this beating before the
piano was disassembled as the bass bridge was split wide open and the piano
was untuneable. 

Short of replacing these strings, does anyone have any ideas as to how I
might eliminate these beats? Has anyone come across a similar problem.

Thanks in advance

Terry Beckingham
PTG Associate