string breakage at becket

[Richard Brekne]

Forget my last... didnt read close enough... at the becket you say ?....
Could be perhaps over exhuberant tighting of the becket at the time.... do
you notice any nicks in the wire around the pin ??

Rolf von Walthausen & Nancy Larson wrote:

> List:
> I've been been servicing a Steinway D in a teaching studio that has had
> a string breakage problem at the tuning pin becket since it was restrung
> 4-5 years ago.   There is no apparent rust or corrosion visible.  The
> stings usually break during tuning -- only sometimes during playing --
> but never at the usual breakage points.  The only problem I can see is
> that the pins were never tapped down into the block far enough,
> measuring an inch or more from plate to top of pin.
>
> Does anyone know if this could be the source of the breakage problem, or
> is it simply a case either of poor quality wire or nicks in the wire
> near the becket from a careless stringer?   I'm preparing to tap the
> pins down to their correct height (there's plenty of room to do so
> without going into the action cavity) but would like to restring first
> if excessive pin height is not causing the breakage.
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Rolf von Walthausen
> Interlochen Center for the Arts

--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
Bergen, Norway
mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no