String Breakage

[Lawsonic Pianoforte Services]

I believe there comes a point when you have amplified music you have to
install monitors on stage (speakers facing the musicians) so they can hear
what they are playing - headphones for the pianist would look odd, though I
have seen some drummers with them.
Brian

>  
> 
> Chances are the type of music they play may have to do with your problem
with
> string breakage.  We attend a charasmatic church where I service their
piano
> every month, and tweek strings between services.  They use a full band,
and
> often the piano is miked, and should there be an improper balances, he or
she
> plays harder to hear the piano.  I have replaced many strings, even onces
I
> replaced months ago. I have even seen strings break in concerts, and in
the
> case of bass strings, fly across the stage. (duck!) In any case, church
pianos
> tend to have strings break more often.  
> 
> Being in this contemporary age, many use full bands and the style of
music
> dictates how hard the piano is played.  I do not know the tension of the
piano
> you are servicing and that can play into it as well.  I believe an
article was
> written in the PTG a couple of years ago.  Maybe you archivists can help
> locate it.
> 
> As for service, increase the letoff, reduce the backcheck distance, and
if all
> else fails,  check string tension.
> 
> Dave Peake, RPT
> Oregon City, OR
> Portland Chapter