[CAUT] Flight of the Broken Bass Sting? (was:: Adams 1/4 tone sharppiano)

[Steven Sandstrom]

Over the years I've had several bass strings break and leave the piano. A 
bass string where the stringing braid goes under the string leaves it free 
to leave the piano. The ones that have broken and I had the lid up were in 
schools where the rooms were big and did no damage. They would land about 15 
feet from the piano. I was always told to have the lid down when tuning the 
bass. I always do this when tuning pianos in homes. Why take a chance when 
there is something next to the piano that could get damaged. Like a china 
cabinet full of grandma's things!

Thanks, Steve Sandstrom


>From: "Jeff Olson" <jlolson at cal.net>
>Reply-To: College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>
>To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org>
>Subject: [CAUT] Flight of the Broken Bass Sting? (was:: Adams 1/4 tone 
>sharppiano)
>Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 22:01:58 -0800
>
>I've broken a lot of grand piano bass strings -- always the string and/or 
>piano's fault, I assure you! -- and must confess to never having observed 
>them flying free of the piano.  I remember one snapping back in my general 
>direction once when the hitch loop snapped, but it never quite made it to 
>my face, strinking (I think) the top of the partly opened lid before that.
>
>On the theory that confession's good for the soul, I suppose I should also 
>admit that I have trouble visualizing a bass string flying free in the 
>manner that seems to hold such terror on this list.  Seems like there's a 
>fair number of obstacles to doing that, and I'm not sure that a bass string 
>possesses the kind of mass/elastic energy -- or whatever physics/technical 
>term applies -- to achieve such flight in any case.
>
>But as someone who humbly bows before simple empirical fact, at least when 
>one slaps me in the face, I would certainly defer to those who've 
>personally witnessed a bass string take majestic flight from a grand piano. 
>  Any chance someone here might describe such an event?  (I've got an old 
>grand I'm seriously considering popping some strings on for experimental 
>purposes.)
>
>Best,
>
>Jeff
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Andrew Anderson
>   To: College and University Technicians
>   Sent: Friday, March 24, 2006 3:21 PM
>   Subject: Re: [CAUT] Adams 1/4 tone sharp piano
>
>
>   Jeff,
>   I was thinking that if I got stuck with one of these jobs I'd run truck 
>straps over the piano to restrain any flying strings and than seriously 
>suggest leaving them there. ;-)
>
>   Andrew Anderson
>
>   At 11:23 AM 3/24/2006, you wrote:
>
>
>     On Mar 24, 2006, at 11:10 AM, Wolfley, Eric ((wolfleel)) wrote:
>
>
>       Alan, in answer to your question about how sharp I would tune I 
>would say 50 cents! It wouldn't make any sense to de-tune more...a semitone 
>is just a transposition. Any less or more than a quarter-tone (sharp or 
>flat) would diminish the effect.
>
>
>
>     Ok, here's a suggestion that sounds like a dumb southerner might 
>suggest, that should reduce risk of all this.
>
>     How about LOWERING the pitch 50 cents and transposing 1/2 step sharp?
>
>     Jeff
>