Seating strings: what's the sound tell you?

[David Ilvedson]

I don't know how many "new" Yamahas I've worked on where I could visually see the string drop when I seated the strings.   Nothing crushed on this piano...
I don't seat strings on a regular basis but when I hear fuzzy tone...unfocused...it is amazing what seating the string can do.   If you don't want to seat strings when it's needed that's your choice...

David Ilvedson



----- Original message ----------------------------------------
From: Ron Nossaman <rnossaman@cox.net>
To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
Received: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 17:24:22 -0500
Subject: Re: Seating strings: what's the sound tell you?



>> Again, I'm embarrassed not to remember details from your presentation at 
>> Nashville, Ron, but as I recall, you said it was futile to seat the 
>> strings at all, since they'll just climb the pins anyway from normal 
>> playing?
>> 
>> --Cy--


>No! Strings won't climb bridge pins at all unless there is enough 
>negative bearing to counteract the clamping effect of the pin angle 
>and offset angle. This is virtually never in real world situations. 
>To assume that strings climb bridge pins is contrary to geometry, 
>physics, and logic. If a string isn't touching the cap at the pin, 
>it's because the cap has already crushed at the edge. The string is 
>on the cap quite solidly just a bit back from the notch where the 
>cap isn't as badly crushed. Caps are crushed to dysfunction at the 
>notch by three primary mechanisms - cyclic dimensional changes of 
>the cap with humidity swings, technicians seating strings at any and 
>every excuse, and technicians driving in bridge pins with the string 
>under tension.

>Here's the mantra... Strings don't climb bridge pins, and seating 
>neither pins, nor strings cures the cause of false beats. It just 
>does further damage to the cap.
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