Breaking a String

Paul T Williams pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu
Wed Jul 23 16:22:02 MDT 2008


A vise grip.

pw




Matthew Todd <toddpianoworks at att.net> 
Sent by: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
07/23/2008 02:44 PM
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Re: Breaking a String






Can some of you share with me your method of keeping the string on the 
hitch pin and bridge pins while you bring up the tension?
 
Matthew

Michael Magness <IFixPianos at yahoo.com> wrote:


On Wed, Jul 23, 2008 at 8:14 AM, Mike McCoy <mjmccoy at usa.com> wrote:
I have to disagree with "never". If you are on the wrong pin due to 
inexperience or lack of attention, then you did break the string and the 
customer should not pay to have it fixed. In my opinion of course.

Mike McCoy
Langhorne, PA.



Leslie Bartlett wrote: 
Interesting. Several local techs, including one very conservatively 
religious say, "Never say I broke a string. Say instead that a string 
broke."   

David Ilvedson wrote: 
Speaking of the wrong way...I wouldn't be breaking strings for practice in 
my primary piano.   Use an old piano...jig...whatever...
 
David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA 94044
Original message
From: "Matthew Todd" 
To: "Pianotech List" 
Received: 7/22/2008 8:10:43 PM
Subject: Re: Breaking a String

In regards to No. 3, I remember when I was 15 I watched the piano tuner 
tune the piano in our church sanctuary.  On one note he was hitting, he 
had his hammer on a different pin, there was no pitch change, and did 
indeed break the string, so that was his fault.  He left me the bill, and 
I noticed he still charged for the string repair.  I will never forget 
that!

I guess in a way it is good to see how some people do things the wrong 
way, so you know how not to do it!


Matthew


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I would have to agree with Mike, if a tech breaks a string due to 
"inattention"  or "lack of experience". 
I have, of course, had my hammer on the wrong pin on occasion but when I 
move the pin and detect NO CHANGE in pitch, I stop and check to see what's 
going on before I reach the point of breaking a string, I call it 
listening. <g>
 
I have to agree with Wim about the hammer shank as well, having done so 
after being careful not to, on a Yamaha C5, Twice!! I checked to make 
certain there were no hammers in the "up" position and began removing the 
action only to hear that snap at the treble end. I repaired it, found the 
initial problem, I thought and re-installed the action. The original 
problem was still there, again I checked, all hammers were at rest but 
when I removed the action, snap again, on further examination there was a 
piece of debris causing the key and therefor the hammer to lift as the 
action was sliding forward!
Mike
-- 
I feel sorry for the person who can't get genuinely excited about his 
work. Not only will he never be satisfied, but he will never achieve 
anything worthwhile. 
Walter Chrysler 



Michael Magness
Magness Piano Service
608-786-4404
www.IFixPianos.com
email mike at ifixpianos.com 

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