Bar Hopping....:-)(v bars, that is)

[PNHISTIC1@AOL.COM]

I believe it was Wim who had a similar aggravation a few days back.  Couldn't 
get a splice past the felt...now I can relate.

I've been having the worst luck with piano strings lately.  No, I did not 
break another one.  But I was just about to begin a warranty tuning on a 
William Steinberg(a rather nice 52 inch German upright), when I noticed that 
E3 was buzzing nastily.  Searched and searched, but found no debris in the 
piano, no lampshade buzz, no case rattling.  It was a string buzz.  Spaced 
the strings, made sure they were seated properly, but the buzz was still 
there.  Now the aggravation begins.

I decided to replace the offender, since the buzz went away when I muted the 
two strings that looped around the same hitch pin.  A no brainer.  Got the 
string out okay, but it was kinda tight pulling it over the v bar and under 
the pressure bar.  On the other side of the pressure bar--with no room for 
needle nose, string, hook or crook to get under to lift the string--was 
extremely thick felt.  And yes, it was understrung--the fourth lowest wire, 
way under the bass string and out the other side.

I could not for the life of me get the end of the wire over the v bar, under 
the pressure bar, and over the felt.  There was nowhere near enough room to 
push the string up and through.  Does anybody have any words of wisdom or 
method for this?  It doesn't seem to me like the manufacturer expected any 
springs to break.

I ended up forming my hitch pin loop and pinching it from the top and lifting 
it over the v bar with a stringing hook, then inserting it into a small, 
flexible plastic tube(which normally houses small brass tubes used for 
plumbing) before running it under the bass and around the pin.  I had to 
measure both ends of the string rather than starting the becket at one end 
because of the pre-formed hitch loop.  

All in all, a rather aggravating experience.  The good side of it is that the 
operation was a success; the noise disappeared.  For all of you piano 
builders out there:  tell me that you put the springs on before the pressure 
bar is installed.....:-)

Dave "learning something everyday" Stahl