dented piano wire

[Mark Bolsius]

Hear, hear Jim! 

The facts and sentiments were expressed perfectly..... all I can do is add
my resounding (sorry, I couldn't help myself <g>) endorsement.


Mark Bolsius
Bolsius Piano Services
Canberra Australia

----------
>From: "Jim Coleman, Sr." <pianotoo@imap2.asu.edu>
>To: Lance Lafargue <lafargue@iamerica.net>
>Subject: Re: dented piano wire
>Date: Mon, Aug 9, 1999, 11:04 AM
>

>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
>> 
>> 
>> 
>