Seiler Bleed through

[Ric Brekne]

Hi Barbara

In theory you can re-profile as many times as you could ever possibly
want to.  Course you may have to string down and lower the plate at some
time. Or perhaps you may find it necessary to harden the V-bar if you
file away too much of the surface.  However, reprofiling doesnt hardly
need to address the contact surface of the V-bar at all, unless you are
dealing with major wear that has created very deep grooves... in which
case you have a bigger problem on your hands from the get go.  I have
always used McMorrows routine. That really is little more then assuring
a rather sharp V as described in my last. Only the slightest rounding
off of the edges is done and I mean very slight as in a kind of buffing
if you will.

A comment or two if I may. The front duplex is designed to contribute
positively to the sustain and volume of the instrument. And a well
functioning front duplex does exactly that. A finger on the front duplex
quiets all those higher partials that pivot across the V-bar. Without
them (in a so designed instrument) a unison is measurably less powerfull
and has a slightly shorter sustain.

Of course there are those who believe one can achieve <<better>>
results  without this feature... notably Bechstein.  To each their own
as it were, but if we are to believe the popular vote of the consumers
then we are forced to acknowledge the vast majority of grands made and
purchased have an active front duplex.  Beyond this fact I think it
misinformed to declare such a feature as either a negative or a
positive. It is what it is. Personally, I find a nicely functioning
front duplex a definant plus. But thats just me.

Cheers
RicB

--------------
Ric,

But how many times can reprofling be done?

Barbara


> Hi Barbara
>
> Checking the V bar is probably just exactly what you want to do.  Take
> down the tension on the strings in the area, and move them away.
> Reprofile the V-bar to a 0.5 - 1 mm V (not a U). This should both clean
> up the sound and take care of string breakage problems as well.  An
> explaination of this process is found in Ed McMorrows book which I
> heartedly recommend.