"Wild Strings"

[ed440 at mindspring.com]

Ceiling fans, marble stairs, hard backed pews, arched plaster ceilings, plate glass windows.  Clap, and if the room claps back you know where the beats are coming from.
Ed Sutton

-----Original Message-----
>From: Paul McCloud <service at pianosd.com>
>Sent: Nov 22, 2006 5:33 PM
>To: mjmccoy at usa.com, Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
>Subject: Re: "Wild Strings"
>
>Hi, Mike:
>    To quote a past President, "I feel your pain!".
>    Are you sure there weren't any ceiling fans on?  They'll  mess you up if 
>you're not aware of them.  Just a thought...
>    Paul  McCloud
>    San Diego
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Mike McCoy" <mjmccoy at usa.com>
>To: "Pianotech" <pianotech at ptg.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2006 1:31 PM
>Subject: "Wild Strings"
>
>
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I have been meaning to write about this for some time and a piano today 
>> finally put me over the edge. I don't know if my hearing and/or listening 
>> skills are improving or if I am having a real bad run of pianos with "wild 
>> strings", or "false beats" if you prefer that term. I hate leaving pianos 
>> in that condition but just how much time can you spend trying to resolve 
>> these beats and still make the next appointment and be profitable?
>>
>> Today's issue was a couple year old Schirmer & Sons upright, very nice 
>> looking piano, decent Detoa action, agraffes bottom to top, decent tone, 
>> GREAT feel to the block, but, EVERY single string had it's own beats. I 
>> had no choice but to pull the action and try to resolve this. Seated all 
>> strings, but the majority seemed to be well seated, no loose bridge pins, 
>> nothing obvious. Pushing on bridge pins with a screwdriver had no effect. 
>> Massaged the worst offenders but really, nothing worked well. At this 
>> point I'm assuming poor bridge notching ( I can't see as well as I used 
>> to). Anyway, finally had to tune the damn thing and move on but I wasn't 
>> happy. This one is probably a good candidate for Pitchlok.
>>
>> Do you folks tend to tune these "wild" pianos as best you can and move 
>> forward or do you spend some time?
>>
>> Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving!
>>
>> Mike McCoy
>> 
>
>