Rusty Stretchy Strings

[Phil Ryan]

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I used to set my SAT four cents sharp to prevent pitch drop in a =
relatively in tune piano, now that I've converted to the Verituner, I =
haven't read how to do that yet in the manual.  Any help out there?  =
It's not really a pitch raise as in the "course" tuning program.

Phil
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Mark Wisner=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2003 7:54 AM
  Subject: Re: Rusty Stretchy Strings


  If you haven't already done so, try and sell the customer a wool =
string cover for the inside of the piano.  They are kinda pricey but =
very effective at keeping rust off the strings.  There may be other =
sources, but LaRoy and Judi Edwards sell very good ones and can be =
reached at 800 924 2114. =20



  -----Original Message-----
  From: Farrell=20
  Sent: Oct 21, 2003 8:34 PM
  To: pianotech@ptg.org
  Subject: Rusty Stretchy Strings


  Mr. A440-or-die posting here:

  I serviced a 15-or-so year old Yamaha GH1 this evening. Lady lives =
right on a salt water canal and leaves all windows and doors open 24/7 =
for about ten months out of the year here in west-central Florida.

  Piano was a little rusty (never seen a piano more rusty that this =
one!).

  Pitch was 25 to 50 cents flat and three strings were broke. Raised =
pitch to A441. Popped a half-dozen strings. After replacing strings the =
piano was up to 20 cents flat in some areas. Raised pitch again to A441. =
Popped a couple more strings. After replacing those, several areas of =
scale were five to ten cents flat. Started bringing those areas up, =
popped a couple more strings and then had to tell the owner that no way =
was this piano going up to standard pitch by me (sure glad the two bass =
strings that shot across the room missed that glass-fronted china =
cabinet).=20

  This piano has set a new rusty-string standard for me. I'll be going =
back there to fine (?) tune the piano in a week or two - at whatever =
pitch the piano settles at (my expectation is that it will be somewhere =
below A440). But my question is could these strings be so weak that they =
stretch much more than usual - kind of like a stretch right before it =
breaks? It seems that when you bring a string up to standard pitch, it =
stretches and settles at a lower pitch. Any other piano I have ever =
pitch-raised pretty well stays where I put it - but not this one. I've =
never seen anything like it.

  When removing a few of the old rusty broken strings, I would grab the =
string with a pair of pliers to yank it out - and the sting broke again =
- I've never before broke a piece of piano wire by just tugging on it!

  I told lady it is time to restring. Maybe that PureSound stainless =
steel wire would be of benefit in this piano. The owner did tell my that =
she is not changing her lifestyle for her piano, and that she is going =
to keep that piano until she dies (I'd say she was 40s-ish and =
pleasingly healthy, so that may be a while!).

  Terry Farrell

Mark Wisner

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