What brands of strings and hammers do you recommend? (was dough...prices)

[Bill Ballard]

At 6:09 AM +0000 5/22/02, Stephen Airy wrote:
>I would like to know what brands of bass strings, tuning pins, treble
>wire, and hammers you all would recommend.  I have something in the
>ballpark of $500 to $525 to spend.  I would be willing to wait a little
>on the hammers in order to get better strings.  However, most of the
>hammers are badly worn, with some hammers in the bass section having
>grooves as deep as the strings are thick.  Also, what are the prices of
>those brands?  I've heard people complain about Mapes, but I've heard
>good things about Arledge bass strings.  It also seems Sanderson makes
>strings, and (I forget, is it Abel or Isaac something?).  The brands of
>hammers I would be considering would probably be Renner or Ronsen.  I
>haven't heard enough about Abel to make a judgment.

Quite frankly, Stephen, I think that labor is going to have a much 
bigger effect on the outcome of the work, than will the unequivocally 
best choice of materials. Which is not to say that you are doomed 
from the start, but to suggest that this being your first piece of 
piano work, the thing which you may want to re-do (sooner or later, 
again depending on the outcome) is not the choice of parts, but 
rebuilding steps.

Let there be no shame in this, on the contrary you have before you an 
excellent learning experience. But your focus should be on how you're 
going to do the work rather than where you're going to buy the parts.

Bill Ballard RPT
NH Chapter, P.T.G.

"By using your intelligence, you can sometimes make your problems twice as
complicated."
     ........... Ashleigh Brilliant
+++++++++++++++++++++