[CAUT] Agraffe alignment

[Ron Overs]

Hi Jeff and all,

A considerable number of agraffes (sets) are poorly made. With holes 
which are less than ideal (for those of you who are in some doubt 
about this, try cutting a couple of sample new agraffes and checking 
them with a magnifying lense and a good light - you will be surprised 
at the sloppy machining which often abounds). Furthermore, many 
manufacturers make an ordinary situation worse by designing the plate 
with a string-approach-angle to the agraffes which is guaranteed to 
result in severe damage to the agraffe holes, by about the time of 
the first chip-up.

Please feel free to continue the educational process by repeating the 
above mentioned inspection test with a used agraffe (after the first 
chip-up will do). The top-side inner string-bearing-point of the 
agraffe holes will look like a mini-glacier has just been through. 
With the magnitude of deformation which is routine, its no surprise 
that we hear a few 'zingers' in most pianos.

I suspect that there are designers who believe that the tonal quality 
will be improved by having a steep string approach angle. Its the 
only scenario which I believe could be properly attributed to the 
practice. But if an appropriate length of free-string is used, 
between the agraffe and the first string support, a high angle is not 
necessary.

Ron O.

>. . . I've seen some pretty rough agraffes coming out of Steinways 
>from the late 60s and early 70s.  I wonder now if maybe those 
>agraffes had been turned to help with buzzing or other noises I've 
>heard from Steinway agraffes from that era - just maybe the buzzes 
>trumped the tuning consequences?
>
>Jeff
>
>Jeff Tanner, RPT
>University of South Carolina


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OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY
    Grand Piano Manufacturers
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