Chickering concert grand, scale 131

[ed440 at mindspring.com]

Cy-
I'm assuming that for its first 100 years this piano did not break monochords every 3 weeks.
This leads me to think that the original design was o.k., but something has gone wrong that needs to be discovered and fixed.
Worn felt causing drag on the plate is one good possibility.
If due to pin driving or too many windings the coil is now located such that the wire is starting to bend over itself as it leaves the pin, that's another.
Or if a scaling mistake has been made so that the core wire is too close to its breaking tension when the string is at pitch, that's another.
Ed Sutton

-----Original Message-----
>From: Cy Shuster <cy at shusterpiano.com>
>Sent: Jun 8, 2006 7:06 AM
>To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
>Subject: Re: Chickering concert grand, scale 131
>
>Good question!  I often find it useful to ask "What problem are you trying 
>to solve?".
>
>The problem is that the monochords have been replaced several times, and the 
>replacements break in weeks.  The hammers are in great shape.  One 
>replacement broke during tuning as the pitch was being lowered.  Would worn 
>underlayment felt be a cause, with the strings riding on the plate?
>
>--Cy--
>SHUSTERpiano.com
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "John Ross" <jrpiano at win.eastlink.ca>
>To: "Cy Shuster" <cy at shusterpiano.com>; "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
>Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 5:31 AM
>Subject: Re: Chickering concert grand, scale 131
>
>
>> Possibly these strings are past their 'best before date'. Especially, if 
>> it is that old, and they haven't broken previously.
>> So why not just replace them, with a rescaled set, without any changes.
>> What are you hoping to gain, with your intended change.
>> John M. Ross
>> Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada.
>> jrpiano at win.eastlink.ca
>