[CAUT] Breaking bass strings on C-3

[Don Mannino]

Otto,

Yamaha's answer was a generic one, because without knowing the details
they can only assume the most common causes.  You might want to contact
them yourself to discuss it, and they might appreciate hearing the
details you related here.  Most manufacturers do not consider bass
string breakage to be a warranty problem, though, because it is rather
difficult to do something wrong in the manufacturing that would cause
multiple strings in different sizes to break.

Breaking at the agraffe and front bridge pin is usually an indication of
the strings being over-driven with repeated notes, especially with the
dampers lifted.  The student may be a serious player, but I would
suspect that he also likes to rock and roll a little bit ;-).

My recommendation: Call Yamaha and see if they might, as an
accommodation, supply a set of strings for the piano at no charge.  At
the customer's expense, replace all the strings in the area where the
breakage is happening.  Check the hammer shape and the action regulation
(especially blow and letoff) while you are at it, and bring them back to
original specs.

Finally, check the damper pedal stop.  You may find that the pedal is
lifting higher than it should be.  I have found that bass string
breakage is reduced if the pedal only lifts the dampers just enough to
work.  In other words, lower the pedal stop so that the dampers lift the
minimum amount possible.  If there is a capstan stopping the trap lever
(I don't know what Yamaha is using these days) then make sure it is very
tight in the wood, or replace the capstan with a wood block and felt.
Bass string breakers are very often heavy pedallers as well, and a solid
pedal stop will help keep the dampers low.

Good luck.

Don Mannino

> -----Original Message-----
> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On 
> Behalf Of Otto Keyes
> Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2006 4:23 PM
> To: College and University Technicians
> Subject: [CAUT] Breaking bass strings on C-3
> 
> I have customer who has a 3 1/2 yr. old C-3 that has been 
> breaking bass strings.  In fact, it has become a common 
> occurence, with about 7 gone so far, but no treble string 
> breakage at all.  The son is a student at the U of Idaho, and 
> practices about 4-5 hours a day.  The situation seems rather 
> unusual, so I suggested he contact Yamaha.  The jist of the 
> response he got was that the piano is probably played very 
> heavily, is out of regulation, and has poor voicing, none of 
> which is the case.  The piano was somewhat bright, but not 
> excessively so for a Yamaha. 
> Regulation is decent, though could use a bit of refinement.  
> And 4-5 hours/day is not heavy use for a C-3.  
> 
> He is a strong player and is studying with Steven Spooner, 
> who is a very powerful player, but certainly not abusive to a 
> piano.  I am sure that Steve would correct any technique that 
> would harm the instrument.  I also find it unusual that no 
> treble strings have broken, if he were indeed, pounding the 
> piano.  My feeling is that we somehow have a bad batch of 
> bass strings, or some freak scaling issue here.
> 
> By the way, the piano moved up to Idaho from California last 
> summer, but the breakage had already started in California, 
> so it's not an environment issue.  Also, most of the breakage 
> has occured at the agraffe. but the last one broke at the 
> bridge pin.  All have been bichords.
> 
> Any ideas for me?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Otto
> 
> 
>