lifting strings

[Richard Brekne]

Stéphane Collin 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.
> Ok, nothing new up 'till now.


Nice trick, and one I've not heard before... but you dont have anything 
to tell you whether or not the string plane is in level or not.  Not 
that leveling strings as well will solve your problem (below) any. The 
only advice I can offer is to pull very slightly the first time around. 
Dont make more adjustments then you need to to get them level.  Its not 
the quickest proceedure in the first place, so whatever speed you build 
up is going to be the result of lots of practice more then anything else.

I look forward to hearing other comments tho... yas never knows when 
something pops up :)

Cheers
RicB

> 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.  I end up with a quite good but not 
> perfect job, which saddens me much.
>  
> Any ideas about how to improve this technique ?
> And yes, sarcasms welcome foreseen that they accompany a good idea 
> (smile).
>  
> Best regards.
>  
> Stéphane Collin.