Concert tuning stability fuse

[S. Brady]

On Wed, 7 Feb 1996 allen@pengar.com wrote:

> in the pins, so my my problem is getting the strings set.  Many of
> the strings in most of the pianos don't want to slide across the
> bridge and under the pressure bar.  If there is a hammer technique
> (other than decreasing tension before increasing it) that will get
> the strings to move through the high friction, I would like to learn
> it.  So far, hitting the keys very hard is the only way I have found
> to set the strings, and I've seen a lot of examples where I've had to
> hit the keys several times.

      This brings up a question that was recently submitted to the
Journal about the use of string lubricants, both at the front bearing
points (capo, agraffes, counterbearing) and at the bridge. The question
reads: "My question concerns the use of lubricants in reducing friction
between strings and bearing points, and in breaking up rust at bearing
points. What kind of lubricant is most effective and easiest to apply at
the bearing points between the speaking length and tuning pin? If the
cost of the lubricant and time involved in applying were not factors,
when would it be ideal to apply it?"
      The correspondent goes on to ask about "spraying WD-40 or some
other lubricant along the bridges to loosen rust."
      Let me say first that I occasionally use a lubricant at the front
bearing points in pianos 1) I've tuned before and had difficulty getting
strings to render or 2) where rust and previously broken strings are
evident. My lubricant of choice at this time is ProTek CPL, and I apply
it with a small brush (artist's watercolor brush). I think spraying
*anything* inside a piano is a bad idea. You have little control over
where the lubricant goes, and if you spray anything around the front
terminations (read: within a foot of the tuning pin area), you could
permanently contaminate the pinblock.
      Very rarely, and only on pianos which I've already tried to tune
and found I could not stabilize with normal tuning techniques, I've found
that applying a lubricant such as CPL with a brush at the juncture
between bridge pin and string, followed by pressing the strings on the
bridge with a "false-beat suppressor" type tool, will suddenly make the
piano tunable. Some pianos in this category that come to mind are
Steinway verticals and certain Wurlitzer studio uprights from about 30
years ago.
      I'd like to throw this whole issue out there for your comments
and experiences.

Thanks,

Steve Brady, RPT        "Chaos is the law of nature; order is the
University of Washington      dream of man."    --Henry Adams
sbrady@u.washington.edu