> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] > On Behalf Of Matthew Todd > Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 6:08 PM > To: pianotech at ptg.org > Subject: [pianotech] String replacement in overstrung area > > I am figuring a quote, and I just wanted to be sure of something. > > Is the only way to replace a treble string that passes under the > overstrung area by loosening tension of all bass strings and > removing them from their hitch pins? > TODD PIANO WORKS > Matthew Todd, Piano Technician Hi Matthew, If you have a soundboard steel (that long, thin, flexible piece of spring steel for cleaning soundboards), you can use that to guide the new tenor string under the bass strings and to the hitch pin (if you don't have one, get one - only a few bucks and highly worthwhile!). Assuming that the string is the typical type found in american and asian pianos in which one piece of wire makes two speaking lengths, I often do the following (I am assuming an upright, but this method works for grands as well with slight variation required): Measure both unisons from the hitch pin to the tuning pin. Add the lengths, and add several inches for making coils (I would add at least eight inches or even more, if it is your first time). Cut a length of the proper diameter wire. Fold the wire into almost equal halves (remember that the two tuning pins will invariably be staggered, and if you disregarded the directive to leave a little extra wire, try to fold the wire to accommodate). Use masking tape to attach the folded part of the wire to the end of the soundboard steel, so that the remainder of the wire runs along the steel. Feed the new wire/steel under the bass strings. Fish out the folded end, undo the tape, and loop the bend around the hitch pin. Temporarily attach the wire to the hitch pin with Vise Grips or anything else you have (I've even used string wrapped tightly around the hitch pin above the music wire and a drop of CA in a pinch). Ignoring the bridge for the moment (except to make sure that the string is not diverted from its relatively straight path by an errant bridge pin), draw one string slightly taut, measure to final length, and cut the small amount of excess. Make sure that the upper-pitched and lower-pitched wire segments are not crossed. Feed the wire around/through whatever bearing surface is present, make a coil on a dummy pin, and install the coil on the "real" pin. Follow the same procedure for the other wire/pin. Add just a small amount of tension to the wires, enough to take up slack, which will make the next step easier. Use two small tools (screwdrivers, whatever you have - I use a small brass rod with a pronounced "V" filed into the tip, and sometimes a little hook made of #22 wire) to coax each wire around the proper bridge pins. Get the wire around one pin, then use a small tool to hold it tightly against that pin while you use another tool to coax it above/around the other bridge pin. Here, you may have to somewhat let down the tension on one or a few bass strings for tool clearance, depending on the circumstance. Remove the Vise Grips, dress the coils and seat the string at the hitch as normal, and tune. On days when I have run into this problem without my soundboard steel, I've used my "magnet on a telescoping stick" tool instead; most problems can be solved with ingenuity and the contents of your toolkit. With experience, these kinds of situations go from nearly impossible, to difficult, to a routine challenge that makes your day a bit more interesting. Folks with more experience than I have may report that it eventually gets to "unbridled joy." I'm not there yet. I bet someone reading this has an even easier method (maybe the stringer, which I've never sprung for).... I'm really glad that you asked, for two reasons. One is that removing all of the bass strings will present a near-term tuning instability problem, and cause unnecessary wear on the pinblock (the healthy block will withstand it just fine, but the borderline block will often be worse for the wear). The other is that I don't think that it is right to charge customers for a large job when a more skilled technician could do a small job successfully instead. When starting out, probably almost all of us have done just that at least once or twice, only because we didn't know better at the time. I bet we almost all feel bad about it in retrospect, and I'm glad the situation is averted here for you. So keep asking those questions! Joe DeFazio Pittsburgh -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech_ptg.org/attachments/20081217/fb29e1b7/attachment-0001.html>
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