Jim, et al, I think I know who did it. After a piano is strung and brought to pitch, the tapping or straightening of the wire that is done to straighten the speaking length is what he was doing. He really was using this technique in the wrong situation. Some of the wire (2) had been changed and he may have done it to those (but much too hard) then erroniously did it to several other older strings in the section. Agreed; it should be done with the utmost care not to dent the wire or the bridge cap. You're right, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I sometimes use techniques/methods that, if not fully understood, can be misused and pianos are ruined. So, I often don't mention these if I'm in doubt that proper time and understanding will be afforded. Lance Lafargue, RPT Mandeville, LA New Orleans Chapter -----Original Message----- From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf Of Jim Coleman, Sr. Sent: Sunday, August 08, 1999 8:05 PM To: Lance Lafargue Cc: pianotech listserv Subject: Re: dented piano wire Hi to all on the list: This situation Lance discovered displays an abysmal ignorance about seating strings on the part of the previous technician (butcher?). There are some who think that if a little hammer helps, a bigger hammer will be better. I believe there is more damage done by ignorantly setting strings. It requires only the lightest of touch to seat a string. Any more than this will indent the bridge further which will make the matter worse in the long run. The light tapping should be done on the string at the contact point with the bridge pin. A downward bend in the string in front of the bridge pin will actually cause the string to want to ride up on the bridge pin more. There is an old proverb which says: a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I am taking the time to write this for the benefit of those who have never seen a real professional do the string tapping thing. They move along very rapidly, giving a very light tap to each string with the brass drift pointing in the same direction as the bridge pin angle and the contact point with the string is right at the brige pin contact point. The bridge pins must also be tight. Tapping strings at the bridge pins is not a permanent fix for anything. The same forces which caused them to rise in the first place, will cause them to rise again. Tapping strings at the bridge pin is a voicing procedure to be used only for the immediate benefit. It is not a lasting thing. Many of you have noticed when destringing a piano that the indentation of the string marks on the bridge surface is deeper near the bridge pins than at the middle of the bridge. You have also noticed that the indentation usually extends out beyond the tangency with the bridge pins. This is what causes most wild string effects. The best fix of course is to recap the bridge during rebuilding process. Another fix is to install the next size bridge pins which will force the strings over and to not ride in the bottom of the string grooves. Another fix is clean up the bridge notch so that the string speaking length first contacts the bridge at the same point as it contacts the bridge pin. Whatever you do will need redoing in 20 years or less. I hope you all are around and can handle it then. Jim Coleman, Sr. On Mon, 9 Aug 1999, Lance Lafargue wrote: > Last week I worked for a piano competition on a Steinway D. In the lower > treble section of the piano a previous tech had tapped the speaking length > of the treble wire with something near the bridge pins, so that just before > the bridge pins on the speaking lenght the strings were kinked or dented. > Of course I fought false beats all week. > > To prep the piano initially I seated strings at all pressure points, pulled > some wire around hitch pins which pulled the dents out of the speaking > length, and in desperation, even took a pair of needle nose pliers and tried > to reverse the kinks or straighten the wire (only minimal improvement). > Does anyone have any other suggestions short of restringing this piano? > Thanks. > > Lance Lafargue, RPT > Mandeville, LA > New Orleans Chapter > > >
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