String Breakage

[Newton Hunt]

I tuned for "Chicago" when it was on Broadway.  The band, on a platform
above center stage, had two Yamaha M1-As.  One of the two constantly
broke strings, three or four a month.  I kept a set of replacement
strings in the piano bench and extras of the ones most often broken.

One week the 'second' pianist went on vacation and the 'first' switched
to the other piano.   I started having string problems with the 'other'
piano.  These pianos were miked and had monitors for each player.

Sometimes there is just no justice.

I would splice the strings on the first break and only replaced it when
the new wire broke.  That way I got twice as much use out of each
string.  The heaviest cores were hard to splice but occasionally I
succeeded.

Tuesday was my theatre day, Chicago, Pippin, Avita, Arm, JC Superstar,
Merrily and others as they came and went.

One day one of the doormen told me I had quite a reputation on
Broadway.  Surprised I asked what he meant.  He said that I had a
reputation of being good but that I would do it my way.  I often thought
I was good and I _always_ wanted to do it my way, the best way I knew
how.

Tuesdays were always my most profitable days.

(sigh) those days are gone.

                        Newton, RPT, retired