[CAUT] no comment

[Kent Swafford]

Thanks for everyone's comments. More interspersed:


On Apr 23, 2006, at 2:10 PM, ed440 at mindspring.com wrote:

> Avery wrote:
>
>> Can this type of problem be "improved" on by just straightening the
>> agraffes? At least
>> until such time that it can be restrung?
>>
>> Be gentle now. Remember I'm not a heavy-duty rebuilder. :-)
>>
>> Avery
>>
>
> Yes, sometimes.
>
> Use the one piece T handle agraffe wrench from Pianotek. It is  
> solid and gives very good feedback from the agraffe.  The Schaff  
> agraffe tool is too flexible, and won't give clear feedback.
>
> The two obvious problem agraffes have been turned a little too  
> far.  It won't hurt to turn them back a few degrees and see what  
> happens.  They may sound o.k., no buzzes.

I would tend to assume that the reason they have been turned a little  
too far is that they had to be turned that far to tighten them  
sufficiently and quiet them. I've wondered about straightening them,  
then, if there is noise, covering the bottom and soaking in some  
epoxy to take up some space and maybe quiet things down. Never tried  
it. (I assume a future rebuilder might have some unkind thoughts for  
that procedure when removing those agraffes.)

> If the agraffe is just a little short of parallel to the bridge  
> pins, you can start by turning it back a tiny bit. This will give  
> you a feel for how much you are forcing it when you tighten it  
> further.  Be aware that it may have been "pre-stressed" and left  
> shy by the installer, so you are running a bit of a risk, but not  
> that much. since you start by turning back.
>
> If you are a heavy handed sort, you probably shouldn't try.  You  
> are not forcing it into place, or telling it where it should go.  
> You are feeling it to see if it can move for you.
>
> Don't insist on perfection, improve the situation until your gut  
> says get out while things are good.

Always good advice.

> And it should be a situation where you can replace the agraffe if  
> it does break.  I have tweaked 20 or 30 like this over the years,  
> with no broken agraffes so far.

Right. Of course the fix is to replace and/or properly fit the  
agraffes, probably replacing the the associated strings.

This particular piano has lived its whole life in a physician's house  
which was recently converted to a museum, and the instrument only  
recently came into use for the first time by pro musicians. The  
musicians, not the owners, are paying for most of the tunings, and  
are cutting me no slack with regard to the unisons; after all, this  
_is_ a D.

There isn't anyone yet willing to pay for the agraffe repairs, but  
I'll keep trying.


Kent





> Ed Sutton (walking in where angels fear to tread!)