Samick Grand Bass String ...

[Barbara Richmond]

Jim Harvey, you hit the nail on the head.  Your post made me
chuckle.  I believe (based on hammer wear) the only key
signatures used are C, G and D.  I  have my doubts about F.

Among the string assassin victims I have serviced have been
a Young Chang upright, a Baldwin Hamilton, a Mason &
Hamlin A, a Steinway B and a Yamaha G-2.  The church who
owned the YC had no problem until they started renting out
their space to another group.  I was amazed how much the
piano had changed from one a regular service call to the
next and asked the secretary who the new pianist was.  She
thought I was a psychic.  After that the strings started
to pop.  I got called in and tried to explain gently and
tactfully to the music committee what was happening and
what Young Chang was willing to do about the situation
(provide a new set of bass strings, but the church would
have to pay to have them installed).  One man was so angry
about it he screamed at me, calling me among other things,
a liar.  I picked up my belongings and walked out.

The Yamaha G-2  church consists of much gentler and
accepting folks. The pianists is a little old woman with a
beehive hairdo, in fact all the women at that church have
beehive hairdos.  I must admit I dont know my Bible
verses--where are beehive hairdos mentioned?  After
explaining to them what the problem was and advising them
to provide a monitor so the pianist could hear herself
(she competes with drums, organ, two bass guitars, and an
electric guitar--oh, she doesnt break bass
strings--treble wires are her specialty) they shook their
heads and said that it would cost an awful lot of money.
I said, Well, at least open up the lid on the piano!  Of
course, a few weeks later I got a call from the pianist,
who said, We opened the lid, but a string still broke.
Seriously, I first saw this piano when it was one year
old--the string cuts were about 3/4 inch.  I shaped the
hammers, regulated it to rob it of as much power as
possible, put lost motion in the damper pedal, softened
what hammer felt was left and managed to slow but not
eliminate the breakage.  Five years ago (Ive been
servicing the piano for ten years) it needed new hammers.
One day as I worked, the minister was shuffling around and
mumbled something like thought we wouldnt have this
problem if we bought a new piano.

Barbara Richmond
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois
berich@heartland.bradley.edu