Bass string revival

[Mike Kurta]

    Joel:
    You actually "cleaned" the strings by subjecting them to violent
vibrations and flexing beyond their normal movement.  I've done the same
thing by taking one end of the string off the hitch pin and tying a simple
overhand knot in the string and "rolling" it up and down the string.  It
does the same thing.....loosening the dirt and foreign matter between the
coils of the windings.  Voila!  You restore the resonance and tone.  It will
likely stay that way for some time.
    Mike Kurta
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joel Jones" <jajones2@facstaff.wisc.edu>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, May 09, 2003 10:30 PM
Subject: Bass string revival


> List,
>
> Bass strings had coffee or soda spilled on them several years ago and they
> were dead as a stone.  No money for replacements.  Becoming frustrated
> listening for a pitch I decided to try a final fix.
>
>     I began by pounding the key and lowering each string about 1/2 turn
> until it was slack.  Continuing to test blow the key a dozen times while
> slack and continuing pounding I then pulled the string up to pitch.
>
>     Presto the string had a live, full sound.   However, I'm wondering:
>
>  1.  What happened to the string to cause it to revive???
>
> 2.   Will this be a short term fix and the strings become dead again???
>
> Anybody experienced this bass string revival?
>
> Joel Jones
> Retired UW tech in Madison
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