Wham Bang

[Gvolts@AOL.COM]

Dear Ken,

Your e-mail on string-breakage is fascincating.  23 broken bass strings?  
Personally, I'm glad the person who breaks all those strings is a pianist and 
not a thug.  It's better for anyone who would play with that much force to be 
at a piano instead of out on the streets beating up PEOPLE.  Then the 
Emergency Room doctors would be complaining about the damage instead of a 
piano technician.  

But seriously, it's an interesting topic.  There are things that we can do to 
prevent or cut down on string breakage.  Let-off can be moved further away.  
Get out your needles because softer hammers help stop it too.

It's might be pointless to talk to the pianist because people generally do 
whatever they want to do, even if they know better.  But, it might be worth a 
try to diplomatically and carefully suggest that making contact with the keys 
first and using arm weight - instead of hitting at the keys  - not only 
produces a better tone but stops the damage.

Finally, if I do everything reasonably expected of me to correct a recurring 
problem, but it's out of my hands (and in someone elses fists!!!) then I 
would just enjoy the extra bucks, smile big, and make the best of it all.

Good luck.  

Gvolts