[pianotech] hammers or strings?

[Lee Morton]

       I have a customer with 5 grands and he is a stringbreaker.  Most 
of his grands have suffered from 1-4 broken strings,
but the current problem is a Model B (1982) which is shedding strings  
in bunches....all in the upper 2 treble areas.  This
piano has its original lacquered hammers, moderately cut, and now it's 
second set of treble strings.  I did not  put the replacement
strings on it so I do not know their origin.  I always use Roslau and 
rarely in my 42 years of piano servicing have I had any
string breakage.  Certainly not to this extent.

      The question I face is this:  The underside of the capo bar is, in 
my opinion, too sharp a profile.  (The strings are all being
chopped off at the bar.)  Should I propose stripping the piano down to 
the agraffes, dressing the underbar with emory paper
to a more gentle curve, and restringing the top 2 sections with Roslau. 
  Or replace the hammers with new hammers, properly
shaped and properly voiced.  Or both?
                                                                         
                           Lee Morton
                                                                         
                           lee at leemortonpianos.com