New topic: Lifting the Strings

[Isaac OLEG]

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Hi Dave(id) and all !

So we are there stating that the strings go down by themselves under use
(well, down near the strike point, up at  the bridge pins !)

And that it is of course more noticed on bass strings (being heavier).

Well that looks very reasonable and logic to me; the strings are made under
vibration so they are moving up and down as well. the earth gravity helps
them to have a more pronounced bend towards the floor because of their
weight (I'll bet also that the soundboard vertical move is more pronounced
down than up ).

It is well the primarily reason is not it ? other causes are welcome ...

The bubble level is very accurate, but it can't be placed everywhere, and as
stated before the strings are not level behind the dampers often. It helps
me (the bubble)  to gain confidence in what my rounded finger is feeling
(the flat finger I don't use yet, I've followed your advice of smashing it
with a hammer ; it worked, but the pain is yet too large so I can't use it
actually)

David , do you massage the back scale on a regular basis ? I see a potential
danger for the bridge top there, and bridge roll also(because of the lower
tension in the back scale after that.
 I've been doing that for some time , but did not notice a such interesting
improvement for that part of the process. It is very useful to low the
pitch, for sure, but how hard do you press the back scale, ? how high get
the tension there ? what happens to the string ?.

 I massage the back scale as well (lightly)  if it have not been done for a
very long time and the tone is very much unfocused, but I am more and more
unsure of the necessity to do so.

I tend to believe that those things may be part of the string settling
process, but then more gentle manipulation will suffice (but on a regular
basis ).

It may be difficult to measure, but even if one accept that the large bend
go back with time, I suggest it is better (faster !) to use the lifting
opportunity they provide it to mate to hammers than to lift all the strings
and try to mate after that. We need some slack to mate efficiently is not it
? if it is yet absorbed by the total lifting we have less margin to work on
the leveling, right ?

On the other hand I also tried to unbend the new strings with a massage
produced with a hook from above, and I get some unpleasing results so I
don't do it no more.

Natural settling, helped with tension (pitch) , warmness, then a light work
on the positive bends (after the pitch is stable )  is more in the way I see
that now.

But if adding positive bends from the start help with tone and stability,
why not ? others seem to say that is the way ... I've never done it on
fairly new wire so I dunno.


Best regards.

Isaac OLEG










Best Regards.

Isaac OLEG




Best regards.

Isaac OLEG



-----Message d'origine-----
De : pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]De la part
de Joe And Penny Goss
Envoyé : lundi 19 avril 2004 05:32
À : Pianotech
Objet : Re: New topic: Lifting the Strings


String Level <G>
Joe Goss
imatunr@srvinet.com
www.mothergoosetools.com
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Erwinspiano@aol.com
  To: pianotech@ptg.org
  Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2004 8:57 PM
  Subject: Re: New topic: Lifting the Strings



     Hi Dave
    Very well stated. I learned these tricks from Norman Neblett in 1979 &
was blown away. It adds such a dimension of finesse to the sound. Simply
lifting up on the wire at the agraffe allows the traveling wave to flow thru
so much more efficiently that the sustain increases as the fundamental
become more powerful. To prove it to oneself listen carefully to 2 adjacent
bass monochords. Then pull up on one & straighten the bend ,then quickly
listen to the 2 notes again. The tone is suddenly fuller & fatter in the
altered note & it's so simple.
   I've got to get one of those level thing- a -ma-jigs from Goss
   Welcome back to the state.
     Dale Erwin


  > 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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