Why NOT to polish bass strings.......

[Paul Chick (Earthlink)]

Subject: Why NOT to polish bass strings.......

"Anyone ever try a solvent in an ultrasonic cleaner? Hey, it's supposed to
work for dentures and jewelry ....

Alan Barnard"

I'll be trying this in the next few months.  I've been thinking about it all
during this thread, and I've got a prime candidate.  The piano will get new
strings, but as I've got the time, can use the stringing experience, and
have access to the sonicator...well, why not see how it works!!

I will report my findings...

John Delmore

A member of our chapter brought in a rental piano that came back to him with
half of the bass notes dead-no tone, no sustain, just "thump".  This tech
session turned into a hunt for the cause.  One member noticed some dullness
to the lustre of the offending strings.  Closer analysis revealed a spray
pattern of soda across the interior over everything.  Another member
demonstrated his down and dirty cure for the bass strings:  he pulled one
string, washed it with hot soapy water, dried it with rags, ran it through a
bath of M.E.C. and dried it(be careful of this stuff), put it in, pulled it
to pitch and played it.  No one could tell by its sound that it was a former
dead one.
  
A client was given a Steinway A from a family member and decided to clean
it-EVERYTHING!  The bass strings got a scrubbing with Brasso...all of them
are now dead.  PANIC!!  He discovered that mineral spirits was a solvent in
the Brasso.  This prompted him to clean the dead strings with it.  He put
many layers of news paper under the strings, washed the strings with mineral
spirits until his rags ran clean, then pulled the newspapers, put a fan on
the strings until the smell was gone, sat down and played his favorites.
When I got there to check and tune the piano, I could not tell by listening
that the strings were "cleaned".  They sounded better than any old set of
strings I've ever heard.  BYW, it took two gallons of spirits and 6 pounds
of rags, and some bloody knuckles to clean them.  He's putting off buying
new bass strings for now.

Paul C