String or Hammer ?

[BobDavis88@AOL.COM]

>  Lower the string
>  about a fifth and beat beat beat about 10 times and raise back to the level
>  of the other string of the unison....

But as in all work, advise the customer of ALL the possibilities first so you 
don't wind up putting in a free string for an angry customer. I gently let 
them know WHY the string sounds as it does - that the corrosion is a factor 
of time and atmospheric conditions, and that the real solution is to replace 
all the bass strings, and maybe the treble as well. Then I offer other 
possibilities and their downsides, including the small risk of breakage with 
the above method, and the fact that a single new string will stick out 
tonally. This is not to discourage, but to put into perspective.

Not only is the risk now shifted to the customer where it belongs, they see 
that I am looking out for them. Often they realize the real nature of what 
they are asking, and decide to leave well enough alone. If they do decide to 
have me go ahead, they realize that I am working in their best interest, and 
at least they are more philosophical if something does go awry.

To answer your question more directly, plucking the string will not only 
locate the problem, it will graphically illustrate it to the client.

Good luck,
Bob Davis