Yes, of course, it's always the TUNER's fault. Right. Like when my tool bag fell over and the tips of tuning wrenches scratched the finish on a grand desk. As though a decent finish wouldn't have resisted a few "love-taps" from my wrenches' steel tips. Ah, well. I suppose I should give up on making my poor, unenlightened customers understand such things. Sigh, Jeff O. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nichols" <nicho@zianet.com> To: "College and University Technicians" <caut@ptg.org> Sent: Monday, February 13, 2006 5:55 PM Subject: RE: [CAUT] Steinway B breaking strings >>Jeff, >> >>Yes, of course, it most certainly MUST be the piano's fault. >>But wait, >>then again, it might be the piano TUNER's fault! - - - Pianists >>who, >>rather than getting a degree in making music, instead get a >>black belt >>in piano, cannot possibly be to blame for destroying their >>instruments. >> >>Others disagree with me, but I do not believe that the capo bar >>leads to >>string breakage unless the capo material is extremely hard and >>has a >>very broad V shape. I am not sure if 10 years ago Steinway was >>heat >>hardening the capos, but even if they were the capo material >>should >>still be quite a bit softer than the music wire. If the capo >>has a >>sharper V, the wire tends to settle into the iron a little and >>make a >>saddle, which in my (unproven) opinion is actually better for >>the wire >>than a broad V bar shape. The large cross section can lead to >>flattening of the wire. >> >>String lengths do vary a bit in Steinway pianos, so it would be >>easy to >>make a sample measurement on this piano and compare it to the >>other Bs. >>If the strings are substantially longer on the 'problem' piano, >>then one >>could argue that this added tension might be contributing. At >>least a >>little. >> >>Changing all of the affected wire is also very good idea - >>reshaping the >>hammers alone without replacing the old wire will not do much, >>as you >>discovered. Replace all of the affected wire, shape the >>hammers again, >>touch up the regulation and voicing, and the breakage will stop >>for a >>while. If you then make it a habit of shaping the hammers >>lightly every >>3 months or so, I think the number of broken strings per week >>;-) should >>drop to more reasonable levels. >> >>I once did this on a Baldwin SD-10 which had a pianist >>preparing for >>competitions and such, and string breakage changed from a >>weekly event >>to one every 2 or 3 months or so. Much more manageable. >> >>Changing pianos is an excellent idea. The conclusion for the >>pianist >>will be inescapable - it MUST be the piano tuner's fault! No, >>really, >>having this happen on another piano will make your persuasion >>that much >>easier. >> >>Try not to let this become a fighting issue - do your best to >>be >>persistent and gentle and educate the pianist. You can be sure >>that she >>has had this problem before, and with sufficient tact you >>should be able >>to get her to understand that with her incredible technique and >>ability >>to produce a big tone, she simply has to expect that additional >>service >>is going to be needed on her piano, and you will do your best >>to keep up >>with it. >> >>Don Mannino RPT >> >> >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On >> > Behalf Of Jeff Tanner >> > Sent: Monday, February 13, 2006 12:20 PM >> > To: College and University Technicians >> > Subject: [CAUT] Steinway B breaking strings >> > >> > >> > Ok, so I'm bringing this back up again. >> > >> > Our heavy handed pianist's 10-year-old B has experienced >> > over an >> > octave of broken strings in the 6th and into the 7th >> > octaves. >> > All of >> > the wire from C#6 to C#7 has been replaced at least once. >> > None of >> > our other ten Bs, all purchased the same year, have had even >> > one >> > broken string, and yes, all but one are in piano faculty >> > studios. >> > The other 8 Bs we have from the late 60s to mid 70s all >> > still have >> > mostly original wire in that area. There were no broken >> > strings on >> > this piano until about a year or a little more after this >> > professor's >> > arrival. In fact, I've probably replaced as many or more >> > strings on >> > her piano alone than on the other 51 grands over the last >> > two >> > years. >> > Now that we are beginning to replace these same strings a >> > SECOND >> > time, she wants me to find a way to blame the piano. >> > >> > Apparently one of her students from Utah told her that a >> > technician >> > out there blamed broken strings on a sharp capo. This one >> > feels no >> > sharper than any of the others we have, but I don't know how >> > I'd go >> > about measuring that spec to know if that's really the >> > problem. Her >> > claim is that since the string is breaking at the capo.... >> > >> > (yeah, I know, but anything to keep from blaming the player) >> > >> > Hammer grooves are no better or worse than any other piano. >> > I even >> > filed them one time to see if that would help and it has >> > not. >> > >> > We are going to swap the pianos in her studio to see how the >> > up until >> > now less played piano behaves. >> > >> > But in the meantime, do you suggest I let down the tension >> > and >> > "shoeshine" the capo to see if that helps? Any other >> > suggestions? >> > >> > I realize piano technicians know nothing of piano technique, >> > and all >> > the foremost authorities of string breakage are PERFORMING >> > ARTISTS >> > and not technicians, physicists or engineers. But at what >> > point can >> > we say that fortissimo is pushing the machine past its >> > design >> > limitations? >> > >> > Thanks. I'm off to change two more strings in her studio. >> > And no, >> > this piano is never in tune anymore. >> > >> > Jeff >> > >> > >> > >> > Jeff Tanner, RPT >> > University of South Carolina >> > >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> > >>_______________________________________________ >>caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > _______________________________________________ > caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > >
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