String breakage in relation to hammer massAND MORE

[Antares]

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If a hammer is unusually heavy will it contribute to string breakage?
 
Michael 

Hello Michael,

When strings break it is (mostly) always due to a few basic technical
conditions, or, when you have a butcher, but in that case I'll close all
books.
The technical conditions causing string breakage (on an otherwise normal and
healthy instrument :

1. a bad regulation
2. a totally worn set of hammers
3. a long overdue voicing
4. corroded or old strings

If the strings are old, you need to replace them in any case, but usually it
is a combination of the first three. 
As you mentioned before, the hammers in the instrument are unusually heavy. 
That means :
1. the wrong regulation because the action must compensate for too much
weight.
2. Too much hammer mass, which will act as a sledge hammer, playing
pianissimo is out of the question and too much energy is spent in general.
3. Pianists feel very uncomfortable under these conditions and they find it
hard to keep control and thus, it is more easy to break strings (even more
so when the pianist is a banger anyway)

A last and > very < helpful rule for all technicians is :
a beautiful tone is :
1. a perfect regulation 
2. a perfect tuning
3. a perfect voicing

On an instrument that is not too old and coming from a good and decent
"house" it is not so common that strings will break.
However, even with well manufactured and fairly young instruments it is
certainly possible to break da strings, but the locations where these
breakings occur are usually always the same :
They are conservatories and music schools. Both types of schools never spend
enough money on technical support.
I personally have quite some experience with music schools in general and I
have worked at the Amsterdam Conservatory for a very long time.
Especially at Conservatories you can put a mattrass for yourself under the
grand. In Amsterdam the doors open at 8.30 am and close at 11.30 pm. In
weekends too students are allowed to make use of the fascilities, resulting
in a respectable Monthly bill for tuning and technical "injuries" plus...the
usual amount of strings "they" managed to break.

Actually, it would be much nicer to "take care" of one concert Steinway a
day with a golden tuning hammer and a platinum tuning fork, a raison de....
well...what shall we make of it...600 US dollars a day? lunches and parking
fees included? plus daily applause? what?

Friendly greetings,

Antares


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