Samick/Kohler Campbell stability

[MITCH KIEL]

      I too have found new Samick-built Kohler/Campbell pianos to be flat and
unstable initially. (Cheer up, they eventually settle down.) During dealer prep,
all the usuals help: tighten plate bolts, seat strings at all bends, level
coils, etc. (PS. Years ago, to achieve any stability at all on new Daewoo
pianos, another Korean maker who previously supplied pianos to the store, we had
to install maple shims between the pinblock and plate flange because the plate
fit was so poor.)
      One model of the K/C grand (SKG 600) has single looped strings for all
plain wire, i.e., each string is attached to a hitch pin with a knot, and NOT
looped back to the adjacent tuning pin. These knots, although wrapped twice
around the hitch pin, are always loose on new pianos. To get any stability at
all, you should tighten each knot. (First tighten plate bolts. Then, using a
brass rod and small hammer, tap the knot into the hitch pin til it's snug and
then tap it down to the plate. Rough tune, then do your string seating at the
bridge.) Some strings will go flat as much as a minor third. Tuning stability
(short or long term) is impossible to achieve without doing this first.
      To the best of my knowledge, this is the only K/C model that has single
loops. Some notable European makers have used single loops for many years. As we
all know, most mfgrs use double looped stringing.
      Could someone please explain the pros and cons of each?

      Mitch Kiel, RPT