New topic: Lifting the Strings

[Joe And Penny Goss]

COOL!
Joe Goss
imatunr@srvinet.com
www.mothergoosetools.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Andersen" <bigda@gte.net>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2004 8:28 PM
Subject: Re: New topic: Lifting the Strings


> on 4/17/04 12:39 AM, antares at antares@euronet.nl wrote:
>
> > Most techs I know are not really aware of all the treasures we may find
> > when we delve into this subject.
> (lifting the strings)
>
> Hi everyone------this is perhaps the single easiest way to become a hero
to
> your serious clients: lift, level, and seat the strings.
>
> Here's my method:
> 1. Start from the back---press down and stretch the backscale string
> length---I use a piece of brass with a groove notched in it. Use a
moderate
> amount of pressure; you should see and feel a nice deflection of the
little
> string length.
>
> 2. Tap the strings LIGHTLY down to the bridge pins, using brass or a
hammer
> shank; tap in the direction the strings go around the pin.  Be a hero;
reach
> in thru those damn bass strings and tap every single one of the low tenor
> strings.  A hassle, but so worth it.
>
> 3. Put a string hook on the string a couple of inches in front of the
> agraffe or capo bar and pull up, with good pressure.  Do this to every
> string on the piano.  Take breaks; this can be fatiguing and straining to
> your lower back; treat yourself well.
>
> Now the strings are seated and lifted.  Here comes the magic.
>
> 4. Level the strings.  I use, now, a little brass bubble gauge that Joe
Goss
> of Mother Goose tools sells---it's the total bomb, dudes.  As Ric
Baldassin
> says, it has exponentially improved my ability to level the strings on a
> piano quickly and relatively easily---and so satisfying, for somebody with
> ADD such as myself, to line that little bubble up inside those little
> lines...oooooh.
>
> And.....voila.  The tone gets deeper, bigger, more sustain, more body,
more
> "sing," more creamy.....a big, big improvement.  I've done that to many
> pianos, raised the pitch, tuned it, and had the player sit and listen,
then
> play.  They sometimes look at me with slight fear, like I'm some kind of
> wizard....how did I make it that much better in that short of a time?
> And your legend grows........
>
> The sad reality is that hardly any piano technicians are doing these
> simple-ass things that make a piano really come alive; doing the above
> string protocol and spending an hour getting true resilience into the
> hammers through the right kind of acupunctural needling is so relatively
> simple, and it's almost NEVER done; I've been following supposedly
fabulous
> tuners for years, and have seen some of the most egregious and sloppy work
> in the realm of tone and action maintenance that you can imagine.
> Richard Davenport's work is flawless, and uniformly excellent----the gold
> standard, or one of them. There's a handful more in LA, but it's a big
town.
> I'd love another talented, gifted, disciplined,  passionate musician/music
> lover as an apprentice. But I'm a harsh, harsh critic. But loving and
> respectful. Most of the time.
>
> As Roger Jolly says, there's gold lying right on the street for pianotechs
> who can operate at a high level of what Virgil Smith calls "complete piano
> service." Now, back off the soapbox. <g>
>
> Be well-----
> David Andersen
> Malibu, CA
>
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