I don't have problems with agraffe noise and I always replace them in restringing jobs and lightly ream with the tool mentioned before. I don't do the polishing routine but have and could not hear a difference. As I mentioned before, I prefer to change old agraffes because they're more prone to breaking regardless of how nicely you shape holes. With capo bars I do take care to produce a good shape and modify counterbearing areas where I see problems. Steinways are odd this way in that the counterbearing angle varies quite a bit between different models. The older screwed on counterbearing bars that you find on pre 1900 pianos, for example, were fairly long but the angle is much steeper and it can work out quite well. I often don't replace those but have with brass half round moved up closer to the bar to shorten and detune the duplex scale there. More recent vintages, especially B's and D's can have long but quite shallow angles leaving the capo bar and I have lots of problems there. In that case I'll modify as I see fit. David Love www.davidlovepianos.com I am curious though, how many techs out there find noisy agraffes to be a problem, and if anyone but the tech hears it. The zingers in the capo section, typically at unison(s) with the longest front duplex(es) are discussed endlessly on both lists and have been since the beginning. For a rampant problem that's worth at least two hours of - someone's - time to avoid, it seems odd to me that there is so very little mention of it in the archives. Ron N
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