Seating/false beats

[David ilvedson]

> Date:          Thu, 17 Apr 1997 08:23:39 -0700
> From:          Horace Greeley <hgreeley@leland.Stanford.EDU>
> Subject:       Re: Seating/false beats
> To:            pianotech@byu.edu
> Reply-to:      pianotech@byu.edu

It seems to me that the important thing is to aware of this
possiblity and keep an eye/ear out for it.  I never routinely
tap at the bridge but if I hear fuzzy tone I will tap that
unison and watch for the string's movement down.  If I don't see
physical movement I look elsewhere.  There are times especially
in Yamaha's where seating at the bridge can make a world of
difference.  Once again the important word is "tap"!!!  It
doesn't take much to seat the string if it needs it.  An
appropriate tool would be a hammer shank or brass drift.  I have
also just tapped the bridgepins themselves to see if the tone
clears up.

David ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA


> Hi,
>
> I must admit that all of this talk about "seating" strings on bridges
> bothers me somewhat.
>
> There is no question but what this is a necessary thing to do from time to
> time, and under varying circumstances.  On the other hand, I've seen
> countless pianos with the strings driven halfway to Baltimore - literally
> half the string diameter imbedded in the cap.
>
> Susan's questions speak to these issues.  My thoughts:
>
>
> >If, as seems possible, hard blows are enough to cause the strings to ride up
> >on the bridge pins, and stay there, is it a good idea to reseat them?
> >
>
> Yes, for reasons others have clearly stated.  The string must maintain
> _proper_ contact with the top of the bridge.  Also, the more consistency we
> can maintain in the piano, the less variation there will be.
>
> >Would it be better to consider who is going to play the piano next?
>
> Sometimes - for most situations, this is not a major issue.
>
> >What if
> >the next performer is heavy handed, and will drive them right back up?
>
> Some may.  But, if the piano is well maintained, the effect will be
> minimal, if at all noticable.
>
> > Will
> >a pianist's unseating them trash our unisons at the same time?
>
> Usually, while an individual pianist _may_ create this condition, our
> unisons are much more likely to be trashed by poor hammer technique.
> Joel's note about changes in a given piano during the course of _very_
> heavy use (in this case the Van Cliburn competetion, although, I have noted
> other instances of similar conditions under similar use) makes this point.
>
> >When we do
> >whole-hearted test blows, do we drive them back up ourselves?
>
> I seem to be, in yet again another way, a dinosaur here.  I tune _very_
> hard.  Very hard, indeed.  Not everyone needs to, or should, perhaps, do
> this.  Since so much of my work has been in situations where breakage,
> slipped unisons, etc, have been unacceptable,  my own sense of this is that
> I would much rather have something slip, break, knock, whatever, while I am
> there, rather than to read about it in the next day's paper.   Obviously,
> this also has to do with my own ego - I hate going out on stage to "fix"
> what "should" have been right to begin with.  (read:  "Hi, I'm Horace, and
> I'm a piano tuner...)
>
> > What happens
> >to the bridge top and pins when we seat -- unseat -- seat, over and over?
> >
>
> My point, exactly.  Unless _great_ care is taken, a good deal of damage can
> be done very quickly.
>
>
> More later.
>
> Best to all.
>
> Horace
>
>
>
>
>
> Horace Greeley			hgreeley@leland.stanford.edu
>
> 	"Always forgive your enemies,
> 		nothing annoys them so much.
>
> 			-	Oscar Wilde
>
> LiNCS				voice: 725-4627
> Stanford University		fax: 725-9942
>
>
>
>
ilvey, RPT
Pacifica, CA