Out of control

[David Ilvedson]

I hear the sounds of frustration...I save some of the clippings from a bass re-stringing just for tying bass strings.  To have it break at the pin is what I usually wish for when it breaks at the agraffe...;-{

You should see and hear (no, forget that, it's to embarrassing) my 18 year old Kawai's at the Ballet.  10 hours a day and they won't replace them...

David I.



*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 2/14/01 at 3:32 PM harvey wrote:

>That's the best I could do for a title. This begins simply, then gets 
>more complex.
>
>For the calculator/spreadsheet junkies:
>
>Piano: Yamaha CFIII concert grand
>Question: What is a representative tension and/or shear value (as 
>seen by the tuning pin) on C1 (string #4)? I'm inclined to think 
>tensions build up pretty fast in those last few notes. Perhaps 
>185~225 lbs at the moment of the bend?
>
>Discussion: 
>Yesterday, before beginning to service this piano for a concert, I did 
>octave checks just to get the overall "lay of the land", considering 
>recent climate swings. I usually do A's, but for some reason, I 
>began with C1 this time. Although I did playing blows (not test 
>blows), C1 chose that moment to break.
>
>Except for practicing while watching TV, I'm not good with splices 
>in real-time. Regardless, I had no core wire that large to even 
>attempt a splice, so another piano was substituted. 
>
>Since the break was at the pin instead of the agraffe, might I 
>correctly conclude that it was overpulled at some point, and that 
>my test just took it over the edge? If so, better then than during the 
>performance. Otherwise, the lowest section of this piano is 
>normally a "hard pull", enough to make me consider (but dismiss) 
>the idea that the strings are not rendering properly.
>
>The bigger issue:
>This piano has been used (and unwillfully abused) in all sorts of 
>venues since 1987. It has performed admirably considering NO 
>budget or even routine maintenance has been done. Most concert 
>grands with a similar service record would have been rebuilt or at 
>least restrung/hammers by now.
>
>Unless something changes (budget considerations), I know this 
>piano is working on borrowed time. I also know that this incident, 
>coupled with other indicators, is a sign of things to come.
>
>IOW, I know what projections and recommendations to make, but 
>am keenly aware that the university will start crying the blues about 
>hard times and budget restraints. That leaves me... and reality.
>
>In summary, is anyone else having to use the band-aid service 
>approach on key instruments? In this instance, I can improve my in-
>piano splicing abilities, somehow acquire lengths of HUGE core 
>wire, and so on. It's those other cliff-hanging surprises that concern 
>me.
>
>Jim Harvey
>
>
>Jim Harvey
>harvey@greenwood.net
>Greenwood (n): the largest city in South Carolina WITHOUT an Interstate