lifting strings

[Conrad Hoffsommer]

Stéphane,

At 14:56 9/30/2004 +0200, you wrote:
>Hello dear list.
>
>I would like to improve my string lifting skills.
>After a new stringing job and a decent first pass on action regulation, 
>when the strings have been tuned about 6 times and have stretched out a 
>little, I take my hook and lift all the strings once to ensure a good 
>termination at agraffees (or capo).
>Then, I take a little piece of straight aluminium, 1 mm thick and wide as 
>three unissons, that I put on the strings at the place of striking 
>line.  Plucking the strings tells me what string is higher than the 
>others, as the piece of aluminium sits on them and mutes them.

Sounds similar to Joe Goss' brass tool, only he's also added a 
level.  Great tool, Joe!

>Ok, nothing new up 'till now.
>My problem is that I have a hard time to do an accurate job here.  The 
>strings respond very well to the first hook pull, but after that, to 
>refine the string height, I find that some strings still respond to hook 
>pull, some others no way and stay at the same height.  I try then to lower 
>the strings that are too high by knocking on them close to the agraffee 
>with a caoutchouc hammer on a brass rod, but again, some will get down, 
>some others no way.

Instead of hitting with rubber hammer and rod from above,  have you used 
the hook from below?


>  I end up with a quite good but not perfect job, which saddens me much.

That's the frustration factor kicking in... ;-}

- methinks you can only do so much with the strings. Agraffes may not be 
straight to begin with.

This is when you may have to get a little creative in your hammer shaping.

>And yes, sarcasms welcome foreseen that they accompany a good idea (smile).

Sarcasm?  Moi??

>Best regards.
>Stéphane Collin.




Conrad Hoffsommer, RPT, MPT, CCT, PFP, ACS, CRS.
Decorah, IA

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