Bass String Coils

[David Love]

I measure the cutting point for coils using a piece of plastic tubing
(about 1/8" in diameter which is slipped over the end of the wire) cut to
3" for three coils and 4" for four coils.  When measured from the center of
the hole in the plate, that will produce a wrap in which the becket stops
just past the point at which the string leaves the pin in the direction of
the agraffe, i.e. three wraps plus a little, on average.   Any deviation in
the position of the becket can be adjusted by adding or taking away
slightly from the measured length.   Note that the longer the string, the
more care must be taken to pull the string taut when measuring.  I slip the
tubing over the waste end, slide it down to the tuning pin hole, grip the
wire in the waste area with the cutters to pull it taught, align the tubing
with the tuning pin hole and squeeze it to hold it in place, move the
cutters down to the end of the tubing and cut.  

David Love
davidlovepianos@earthlink.net


> [Original Message]
> From: Blaine Hebert <blaine.hebert@att.net>
> To: PTG Piano Technicians Guild List <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Date: 6/11/2003 11:53:51 PM
> Subject: Bass String Coils
>
> Today I saw a pair of replaced bass strings on a nice Steinway.  This
> instrument was being considered for purchase by a good player but it had
> one bass note with a bad overtone.  The store ordered a pair of new
> strings and another tech put them in.  After installation the coils on
> both new strings matched the original stringer's coils exactly.  I am
> pretty good at matching coils and can recognize good work; I was
> impressed.
>
> My survey question is; what is the technique that you use to match pin
> coils to come out at exactly the same angle as the original stringing
> job?  Do you use "three fingers"?  Measure past the pin?
>
> Blaine Hebert  URPT
>
> _______________________________________________
> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives