[CAUT] Hardness of termination vs string breakage (was Re: restrung D)

[RicB]

Hi Ted

I aggree that the removable capo bar had that very nice ability to be 
easily serviced... and have often wondered why the idea never really 
caught on. It cant be THAT much difference in production costs... and 
the long term serviceability is very attractive.

As for buzzing.  I really do encourage you to borrow/buy a copy of Eds 
book.  He has some interesting things to say about how buzzing from capo 
wear develops.  I'm not saying he is the end authority on this subject 
matter, as I dont think there has ever been any kind of an 
authoritive/definitive  study... but I am saying that since I started 
reshaping capos as per his suggestions, I have personally experienced 
his advice is quite sound indeed.  Having lived in the same area for 25 
+ years now I've plenty opportunity to follow up on jobs over time.  
String noises of various sorts associated with the capo is a rather 
involved discussion with lots of factors involved when it comes down to 
it.  Ofte times, one gets a great result doing some one thing and assume 
that well... this is the thing to do, when it in reality was only 
appropriate for the exact set of conditions present on a worn piano that 
has had gawd knows what kind of treatment from other techs in the past.

Cheers, 

RicB

    Thanks, Alan and Jim for pointing this out. I think we are getting
    confused
    with figures. Or with the radius when we mean the curvature. Of
    course, the
    radius is one half of the diameter. I think I was careful to say the
    radius
    produced by a rod of 2.5mm dia. If not, I apologize. But have we
    looked at a
    1mm diameter profile? It may well be that this might be a desirable
    termination, but has anybody ever seen this in a piano? I certainly
    have
    not, in a career spanning 69 years, and having re-strung over 200
    pianos.
    1mm. dia. is exactly the same as a #60 twist drill, barely more than
    one
    half of the diameter of a #6 bridge pin, and identical to gauge 17.5
    Roslau
    wire. From a manufacturing point of view point of view I believe the
    gains
    would be minimal, if at all, and the difficulties considerable. I
    agree with
    Ric that the removable capo bar is a good idea, as were many other
    19th.
    century features. I also think that many were abandoned before they
    reached
    their potential. With modern production methods and materials it
    might be
    worthwhile to take another look Piano design is in somewhat of a rut
    in my
    opinion, and the work being done does not amount to much more than
    tinkering
    with what we have. Now, as for buzzing strings, one of the most
    difficult
    experiences I ever had was at an important concert I tuned for many
    years
    ago at the Stratford (Ontario) Festival. The piano was a rented C and A
    Steinway D, and was chosen by the artist's agent three weeks
    beforehand. It
    had about twenty buzzing strings in the tenor, one or two per
    unison. With
    forty-five minutes to tune, which was often the case there, desparate
    measures were called for. What I did was to pry each buzzing string
    up with
    a screwdriver and saw the pitch up and down to wear the agraffe hole
    smooth.
    Fortunately it worked, but was not an experience I care to repeat.

    Regards to all, Ted Sambell---- Original Message -----
    From: "Alan McCoy" <amccoy at mail.ewu.edu>
    To: <caut at ptg.org>
    Sent: Monday, April 23, 2007 8:47 PM
    Subject: Re: [CAUT] Hardness of termination vs string breakage (was Re:
    restrung D)