Breaking Strings

[Dean May]

My understanding is those P22s have a higher tension scale design. The
result is that after 10+ years of hard playing they will start breaking.
Explain it to the customer in those terms. It is the work hardening of
the strings coupled to very hard playing. I've had good success having
Mapes or Arledge rescale for a lower tension and changing the sets. 

New strings plus what Terry recommends below plus communicating to the
player to stop using his heels on the keys. Problem solved.

Dean
Dean May             cell 812.239.3359
PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272
Terre Haute IN  47802


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On
Behalf Of Farrell
Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2005 11:18 PM
To: Pianotech
Subject: Re: Breaking Strings

One good method is to shorten the blow in the troublesome area and
decrease 
keydip accordingly. This serves to depower the action. If you decrease
blow 
significantly, then taper the change over a few notes in the tenor. I've

done this on several lounge pianos (Yamaha C3s) that were breaking bass 
strings - it has worked very well.

On an upright, you can simpy decrease key dip, add felt/cloth to the 
backrail cloth to make it thicker in the bass and then adjust lost
motion.

And keep them hammers shaped!

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message ----- 
> I've got a customer (a theater) whose has their Yamaha P22 tuned
weekly 
> for a
> long running show. Over the last 9 months or so, bass strings have
been
> breaking with increasing frequency; it's to the point now that I've 
> replaced 5
> bass strings in as many weeks. As many as 15 or 20 have broken so far.
>
> It seems to me that the cause is hard hammers. The piano has always
been
> bright, but is a little more so than it used to be (this is a little
hard 
> to
> gauge, since I see the change slowly over the course of a few years). 
> There are
> definitely deep grooves... I convinced the management to let me
reshape 
> the
> hammers once - the string breakage slowed for a while, and then
increased
> again. The piano is played pretty hard, seven or eight shows a week.
>
> Am I on the right track, or are there other causes for this type of 
> problem?
> Besides needing regulation, the piano is in good shape (no
environmental 
> or
> humidity issues, etc.).
>
> I'm guessing that I need to convince the managemnet to A) let me do
more 
> work
> on the hammers, B) let me replace the hammers w/ new ones, or C)
continue 
> to
> pay for string replacements and muck up my schedule on a weekly basis
(and 
> it's
> two strings every time they break one - I put on a universal, then
follow 
> up
> with a duplicate when it comes in... thought about tying knots, but
the 
> strings
> are breaking right at the end of the winding, mostly - knot much
room).
>
> Thanks in advance for thoughts, pointers, sympathy(?)....
>
> Mike Byrley
> Chicago, IL 


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