Jeannie writes:
> I lifted, shifted, prodded and prayed over
> each one and could not create any appreciable change. Are there any other
> tricks I might try short of removing all of these strings and dealing with
> the agraffes that way?
> Could this be due to the kink in the wire from the piano having set below
> pitch for that four year period? Could it be from someone over-zealously
> lifting the strings and introducing a kink? Help!
Greetings,
After the prayers, lifts, and prods, I have done the following. Faith,
fortitude, and good eye protection are required.
When the agraffe/string has convinced me that the buzz is happening there
between them, and nothing else has worked, I take a long screwdriver and
place the blade,(and not a real sharp blade,either!) right behind the
agraffe, on the string.
Then I hit it pretty hard. In fact, if I hit my nose this hard, I think I
would bleed. It has to be hit hard enough to lose contact with the agragge!
It seems that the hammering effect when it snaps back up lets the string
seat in the brass. I don't hit it more than once, now. If one good smack
doesn't do it, two rarely do better.
Before you destring your next piano, it could be helpful to practise
this, and learn just what it takes to break a string. Then, the next time you
have a unresponsive buzz, you can take a swing at it from this angle.
Regards,
Ed Foote RPT
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