alright alright! Contact Jan Grossbach from Europiano magazine. he should know where the German techs get their strings (Seiten) and now they want the e-mail address....... sheeesssh grgrll OK, found it : Jan.Grossbach@t-online.de And what do I get out of this? heh? (;>)) friendly greetings from Antares, Amsterdam, Holland "where music is, no harm can be" visit my website at : http://www.concertpianoservice.nl/ > From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> > Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org > Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2002 09:17:40 -0500 > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > Subject: Re: Beginner Student and String Breakage > > Hello Laura. I'll take a stab at a few of your questions. I did the Potter > course about four years ago and think that it is a very good, very complete > course of instruction. Comments below: > > Terry Farrell > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Van Der Rhoer" <laurav1@mac.com> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2002 5:14 AM > Subject: Beginner Student and String Breakage > > >> Thank you all for your helpful suggestions and encouragement! I will try to >> learn as soon as possible how to replace strings (though I may have to send >> to the U.S. for wire, not knowing who to contact here in Germany). > > Hey Antares (Netherlands)! Hey Richard (Sweden)! Anyone else out there in > Europe have contact info for a local supply house???? > >> Possibly I was on the wrong pin, but I think not, as I was being pretty >> careful checking each time. But I will watch that all the more carefully in >> future! > > It's embarrassing for me to think about how many times I put the tuning lever > on the wrong pin. I'll be tuning along just fine and then the customer asks me > if I wish for a soda or coffee - I go back to tuning and for some reason, I > turn the pin and the pitch does not change - if I don't wake up immediately > and turn some more - SNAP!!!! It's frighteningly easy to do! > >> Thank you Greg Newell for your tip to use a lubricant -- would McCall's VJ >> Lube do? It came with the course. > > No! That heavy stuff is for squeaky trapwork and the like. > >> Otherwise I will order Protek's Center >> Pin Lubricant as you mentioned. Is it applied with a small paint brush or >> something else? > > Protek is good to use there. Protek is a liquid of low viscosity. It is (as I > understand it) teflon suspended in some type of carrier. Apply it and it soaks > into just about anything. The carrier (liquid part) flashes off quite quickly > and leaves a bit of teflon dispersed about. And that causes the area to be > slippery for quite some time. I put mine in a squeeze bottle with a long > narrow tip. I just squirt in on. It's expensive so you don't want to waist it. > Some folks use a syringe. I find that application method to be too cumbersome. > But that's just me. > >> Also, I will follow your advice on checking whether the >> string has ridden up with the bridge pin. (The note really sounded >> peculiar, as if it were loose or out of control, no matter which way I >> turned. It kept reverberating as well, as if the sustain pedal were on). >> There is an illustration of what I think you were describing in Reblitz's >> "Piano Servicing, Tuning, and Rebuilding" Chapter Four p. 116 -- "gently >> tapping string down to bridge". Should I be tapping the string or the >> bridge pins? > > For the beginner - only if your hear false beats of funky noises. A good thunk > to the bridge pin to try and seat it (sometimes it will help on a loose pin, > sometimes not). Light tapping on the string at the pin (light only!) to be > sure it is snugged to the pin and bridge top. These will help. False beats can > have a number of sources. I find that most are related to loose bridge pins. > But some strings will go on being funky until replaced or the piano is rebuilt > and string terminations are fixed. > > Regarding the reverberating - what might be occurring, and what I observse > sometimes, is when you mute off strings - with whatever kind of mute - just > moving the string a little bit with your mute causes the damper to not dampen. > If the damper works after mutes are removed you are OK. If it keeps on > sounding, then you have some sort of damper problem. > >> I appreciate being able to ask some questions from time to time, I think it >> will really help. > > Boy, it sure has helped me! > >> Thank you Charles Neuman for your suggestion to write Randy Potter as well. > > I called Randy a number of times when I went through the course. He was always > very helpful. Pray that he is not in the mood to talk ;-). > >> I thought he'd be overburdened perhaps. > > Naw. That's why you paid the big bucks! > >> Many thanks to all again! >> >> Laura >> >> > >
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