This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Hello Andrew My reasons were pretty basic, really. To keep to an absolute minimum the potential distortion to both Plate and Bridges. The S&S 'A' is my own piano so I was being ultra careful (I always am anyway... ) that I got it right! There has been a lot of chat about such things as that "killer octave" and loss of crown etc. so I decided to do the restringing in carefully controlled stages over a period of time. First stage was to remove the strings. I brought the tension down fairly rapidly, but as equally "across the board" as was possible. I therefore used the "pitch lowering" technique which is opposite to the "pitch raise". With the strings all off and the sound board cleaned spick and span I then set about installing the new strings. This I did using my home-made "dummy" coil maker with the actual wrest pin in and transferring wrest pin with its coil (SIX windings) direct to the hole in the web. Pounding the pin in and just bringing light tension (sounded awful!) to the strings as I put them in. My string maker advised not to hang about before installing my new covered strings. Reason: They are made under tension and, before removal from the lathe, are about 3/8" longer than when they arrive in the parcel. So the copper coverings are under compression and the string quality could deteriorate if left too long un-tensioned. This made sense. I used the pin-block jack of course, moving it along underneath as I progressed with the pounding in of those pins. Now with the strings installed I took up the tension to about an octave below tension. I did this very methodically using my previously published "Quadrant Method". That is: Tune all the 'A's to a known reference (an octave flat in this case) all the way across the piano. Then, by ear, tune the intermediate M3's to those A's - sounds horrid, but carry on. Next tune all the 'B's and their intermediate M3's. Then tune all the A#'s and their intermediate M3's. Finally tune all the G#'s and their intermediate M3's. Now the piano is an octave below finished pitch. Next to go methodically over all the wrest pins with a pair of duck bills and pinch in all those beckets! From now on, tune the whole piano up ONE semitone per day, being very strict in using that "Quadrant Method". When, after about two weeks, you've got to G#=440 use the Pizza Cutter to pre-stretch those metals, and, use the hand-in-glove to individually pre-stretch those copper covereds. This plays havoc with the semitone flat from A=440! However, that is expected. So bring the whole piano back up to G#=440 again and leave over-night. Next day pitch raise to half a semi-tone below A=440. Leave again to settle for a day. Finally bring all up to A=440.5 (that's where I keep the Pit piano!) On each pitch raise it is vitally important to stick to that "Quadrant Method" so as to keep the tension equally distributed across Plate and Bridges. Now for Joe and Penny Goss' splendid Brass String Leveller. I used this in conjunction with my "stringing hook" and how well and simple that job became! Thank you Mother Goose! End of Advertising break! Finally, install the dampers with their new S&S felts and regulate them. One week later and the piano is still exactly in tune and pitch. I am not kidding you. Well, there may be some very slight infelicities, but nothing jarring to the ear. Overall result: This S&S 'A' now has a vastly improved tone, in depth, colour and power! I remember listening to the sound of that soundboard when I tapped on the bridge whilst there were no strings on it - it literally "Hummmmmmed" at a very low frequency and for a considerable time. That, to me, was a good sign. Now I've got the Wurzens installed under the keys: Front, Balance and Touch, so all I need now is to get Wurzens in place of the original yellow core 90 year old hammers. Andre is expecting this.... Regards from a windy Sussex Michael G.(UK) Michael, I'm interested on your reasoning to choose to bring the piano back up to pitch by stages. Please do tell. Andrew At 03:11 PM 9/26/2005, you wrote: >Thanks, David. I shall do some experimenting. First, I think, as a temporary >measure and to quickly discover whether there's a need or not, I shall push >in felt between the back scales of the bass section rather than weave it. >BTW the tonal quality of my S&S'A' has improved hugely as a result of >re-stringing. It now has a big depth of sound even with the lid down. I like >to think it is as a direct result of my bringing it back to pitch so slowly >and evenly. >Regards >Michael G.(UK) > ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/d0/d8/ed/01/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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