String breakage in Seiler pianos

[Overs Pianos]

Barbara,

A couple of questions about the Seiler 240. Maybe 
next time you tune it you could check it.

What is the nominal string angle of turn over the capo bar?

What is the radius of the capo, and is it being 
deformed (grooved) by the wire. If the bars 
aren't being deformed at all, they are definitely 
being hardened.

I was most impressed with the 208 Seiler at the 
Reno convention, as a new piano. I have heard 
that the tone gets ugly on these instruments 
unless the hammers are not regularly voiced.

If you have an inspection mirror, it should be 
quite easy to see the bars with the action out 
and a light.

Quite a few manufacturers are now hardening the 
capo bars. If the string angle over the bar is 
beyond about 15 degrees with hard bars, string 
breakage will inevitably occur. The breakage 
problem will be more serious if the tuning 
technician has poor hammer technique.

String breakage in the bass is mostly related to 
either scale tension, or the height of the 
counterbearing bar, if present. It is common to 
see quite a severe counterbearing angle in the 
bass section and it really isn't necessary. 
Tension problems are more likely to occur in 
longer scaled pianos such the Bösendorfer 
Imperial. Breakage in the low singles of the 
Imperial is a known problem. They are probably 
chasing a bigger bass, but with a free back scale 
length of just 40mm on the low C of the Imperial, 
the board will be effectively clamped. I tuned 
the ABC's Imperial in jazz studio 227 just last 
Saturday, when the short bass-back-scale of these 
pianos jumped out at me.

Look forward to hearing your report if possible

Ron O.
-- 
OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY
    Grand Piano Manufacturers
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Web http://overspianos.com.au
mailto:ron@overspianos.com.au
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