Soft iron knot?

[Richard Moody]

Greetings Ed,
    I  heard that in the old days, spare strings were sent with the
instrument.  Surprised this tradition is was not kept.   I would determine
the tension,  measure the wires around it,  consult with the maker and
probably end up moving  down a size.


Did you try a square knot?  I am guessing this might be easier to tie on
"soft iron" than on modern piano wire.  And I would guess the square knot
might be less stressful to the iron wire.    The modern knot, is it a sheep
shank? has sharper bends in it than the square knot.

    Also being a member, I can get some info pretty fast from the Shrine to
Music here in South Dakota if you need more input. I think they have a
Graff.

http://www.usd.edu/smm/index.html

 ---ric


----- Original Message -----
From: <A440A@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2002 11:59 AM
Subject: Soft iron knot?


| Greetings,
|     Having recently been the tech on a four day historical recording
project,
| I had about   as much trouble as I ever had getting a clear sound out of
a
| fortepiano.  We were using a copy of a Graf, and I was tuning a Young
| temperament for a Schubert CD.   Aside from the continual action
abberations,
| I had a couple of broken strings.
|    I tried tying the broken strings, I used two different knots that have
| worked for me for many years, and neither string could be brought near
its
| pitch without breaking at the knot.
|    Is there a particular type of knot that is known to work with soft
iron
| strings?  These were Rose, .080" wires.
| Regards,
| Ed Foote RPT