Sounds interesting. I had a few strings on my Ricca break at or within 20 cents below pitch. :) I'd like to see someone try an experiment on a model D Steinway, raising the pitch as a whole 1/8 step (25 cents) at a time, until the plate cracks. How high can that piano be tuned before that happens? --- Farrell <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> wrote: > This post is perhaps most directed toward those > having questions regarding > the feasibility of raising a one hundred year old > very flat piano up to > standard pitch. > > My 12 year old son needed to do a science experiment > and chose to > investigate the breaking strength of assorted sizes > of piano strings. > Several sizes were installed at A4 and tightened > until they broke, while > measuring pitch with the AccuTuner. > > The subject piano was a 1901 Everett grand that was > clearly all original > strings and was 250 cents flat. All strings had > quite a bit of surface > corrosion visible. > > The original A4 was tested first. It was brought up > to 440 hertz, and then > up 100 cents, up another 100, up, up, up until it > went to 75 cents sharp of > D5 before it broke! This old puppy went 560 cents > sharp before breaking! New > strings were installed at the same location and went > about 100 cents more > sharp before breaking. > > Believe me, I have had plenty of strings break on > old pianos - and clearly > the strings on a very few old pianos will simply not > hold the tension of > standard pitch. The point here is that old strings > clearly have the > potential of holding standard pitch - and then some > - and presumably many > will hold standard pitch just fine. I think we > needn't be shy about > attempting to raise the pitch of an older (and > otherwise sound) instrument > to standard pitch. > > Terry Farrell > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail! http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/
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