[CAUT] restringing problems

[Kidwell, Ted W]

To me this sounds like the difference between Mapes and Roslau wire- Roslau having the duller appearance. My experience is that the Mapes renders considerably easier than the Roslau. To get a stable tuning you would need to use a completely different hammer technique for just that one section of 14 gauge wire. 

I should say that this is based on Roslau wire that I inherited with the shop here at the University. It is old wire and that may be the reason it is so different, both in appearance and in rendering.

Ted Kidwell, RPT
California State University, Sacramento
Capistrano Hall, rm. 153
6000 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95819-6015
916.278.6737
 


-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of rwest1 at unl.edu
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 5:12 AM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] restringing problems

I did the usual string stabilizing procedures.  I cleaned up the  
capo.  I'm not sure what you're referring to when you say "seat the  
wire on the capo."  The strings in question are all size 14 wire.  If  
the wire is at fault, will it eventually stretch out and stabilize?  
How do I know what I've got, short of chemical analysis?  I've only  
run into bad wire problems once in my career.  I had a string  
breakage problem in a new Steinway upright.  I tried to tie one of  
the strings and it broke like a pretzel, no flex in the string at  
all.  I replaced strings which was tricky given that the wire in  
question was in the middle of the piano where the bass strings cross  
over the ends of the treble wire.  No fun.

I did notice that the 14 wire has a different look to it.  The 13.5  
wire has a nice shiny new finish to it.  The size 14 looks rather  
dull in comparison--very noticeable, however.

Richard West


On Nov 8, 2010, at 6:22 PM, Ward & Probst, Inc wrote:

> Is that all the 14 gauge on the piano? If so, I'd look at the wire.  
> It's
> also in an area that Knabe used a grain angle on the bridge cap  
> that has
> been good for business. Did you reshape the capo in that area and  
> seat the
> wire on the capo?
> DP
> Dale Probst RPT
> Registered Piano Technician
> Ward & Probst, Inc.
> www.wardprobst.com
> dale at wardprobst.com
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
> rwest1 at unl.edu
> Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 12:57 PM
> To: College and University Technicians
> Subject: [CAUT] restringing problems
>
>
> Several weeks ago I was hired to restring a Knabe grand (around 5' 6"
> or so) that was around 100 years old.  Everything went fine, but
> there's one area that will not stabilize--F#6 to b flat 6, all size
> 14 wire.  I've tuned the piano several times, but I keep having to go
> back to the aforementioned area to clean up the unisons that have
> gone flat, some by a considerable amount.
>
> The pins are tight.  The coils are tight.  The beckets are good.  I
> believe the bridge pins are solid (I used fresh Dryburgh superglue).
> Plate bolts are solid.  I tuned the piano again today and it seemed
> that things might hold this time, but I'm looking for suggestions in
> case those notes go crazy again.  The notes above and below are
> stabilizing about as I would expect with a restringing.  I'll be
> going back in 2 weeks to check.  If the problem involved only one
> note/string, I'd just replace the string and see if that was the
> cure.  But there are several strings on several notes.
>
> I've restrung many pianos over the years and never had a problem like
> this.  What's going on?
>
> Richard West
>
>
>
>
>