[CAUT] Assorted Queries

[Fred S Sturm]

Hi Geoffrey,
1) I like to seat at an angle  toward the intersection of 
the pin and bridge, more toward pin than bridge. Why? To 
"create a positive bend," which helps to define 
termination. I always try to avoid too much pressure 
against the wood of the bridge. Any tap will create a 
dent. Try it with a short piece of music wire held against 
an open portion of bridge. See how tiny a tap causes a 
dent. And taps on the wire away from the bridge will also 
cause a bend in the wire if they are strong enough. You 
can see them by running your eye up and down, getting a 
reflected glare to run up and down the wire.

Positive bends at termination points seem to me to give a 
much better definition of tone, and they help establish 
pitch stability on new strings a whole lot. I use a home 
made tool quite similar to Schaff's false beat eliminator 
(formerly Wurlitzer's - the tool was invented by the 
Wurlitzer technical rep whose name I forget in the early 
80s. He came through Albuquerque and showed it off, along 
with Silicone oil and a tool for removing those 8" action 
bracket screws if they broke off). Mine is made from brass 
stock (1/8" x 3/4" I think) with a wooden handle end. A 
grove in the end created with a file, a bend created with 
a vice and hammer. Mine is smaller than Schaff's by a fair 
bit, so fits in the tool case better. You can also just 
take some round brass stock, 1/4" or whatever fits a combo 
handle, and sharpen the end and file a groove in it. I 
think applying pressure and sliding along the string is 
the best procedure.

I don't do this often, mostly just once on a piano. If you 
are denting the string into the bridge, you will create an 
endless loop where you need to "re-seat the strings" every 
single tuning. And it will sound nice and be a big 
improvement right after you are there. Which makes you the 
big hero, right? <G>

2) The felt of the trichords should not extend below the 
wire, or below the widest portion of the wire (there is a 
small window that works well). Any felt that extends below 
will tend to fluff out, and so it will brush and "play" 
the strings on lift. Trimming should be done with very 
sharp, narrow scissors. THe best I have found are carried 
by Jurger of Pianoforte supply, very reasonably priced for 
what they are. Try a large fabric store for less expensive 
but still high quality alternatives.

Cut the felt straight along the bottom of the groove the 
strings have made. Then taper the right angle sharp 
corners (very subtle controlled cutting). Learning this 
skill is utterly essential if you do any work for 
recording with close miking.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico

On Mon, 5 Nov 2007 22:02:41 -0800 (PST)
  Geoffrey Arnold <welltemperedtuning at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hi List,
> 
> Here is my laundry list of small technical questions 
>I've meant to ask: 
> 
> 1)  String Seating - A few weeks back I received my 
>"false beat reducer" from Schaff. I had read piles of 
>literature on proper string termination at the bridge... 
>I am still mystified by massiness/spongyness... and had 
>never achieved noticeable results from applying side or 
>downward leverage with a driver blade or wood dowel. Not 
>so with the false beat reducer... Right away I was 
>settling those false beats and it was/is glorious, I had 
>come to think my unisons were unclean due to tuning 
>inadequacies (though why should single string beats be my 
>fault?), and this has given me a whole new perspective. 
>My method is to start at the hitch pin as recommended in 
>the Fern Henry article of the Technical Exam source book, 
>and work to the tuning pin (rear duplex, duplex bridge 
>pin, speaking bridge pin, agraffe or V bar (string hook), 
>front duplex). She recommends a brass dowel and a hammer. 
>I had never got the results from striking that I get from 
>pressing. I try
> not to move more than an inch from the bridge pin when 
>pressing, and I apply a good deal of downward pressure 
>(never side pressure since I seem to resonate with the 
>argument that if the string is as down against the bridge 
>as it can be it must be equally against the pin, and too 
>much side pressure just compromises the pins stability 
>without increasing termination). 
> Sometimes a string will be unaffected by even the most 
>zealous of seating, but for the most part I can't believe 
>the results. I now take out the beat reducer with my 
>mutes for every tuning, and use it at least a few times 
>on every tuning. It makes for cleaner unisons, octaves, 
>and I feel better walking out of a tuning.... I am 
>cautious of being overly zealous however, especially on 
>the concert instruments I service. How much danger is 
>there of warping the string in the speaking length? How 
>often do you all seat strings? Every tuning? If a tuning 
>isn't clean until a little seating is performed why does 
>seating  seem always to be placed in the "voicing" 
>category instead of being made a big integral part of 
>tuning 101?
> 
> (Digression - the tip in this month's journal about 
>placing wedge mutes
> in such a manner as to move the muted string away from 
>the hammer (up
> in grands, down in uprights) has also been a great eye 
>opener for me,
> the results are subtle but undeniable and have helped me 
>quickly switch
> between level strings and unlevel strings so as to 
>better identify
> which tuning problems are string leveling related)
> 
> 2)  Damper Felt Noise- When the spanking new dampers 
>lift with sustain pedal on a few grands the great 
>sponginess seems to rub the strings as they lift quite 
>noisily to the point of distraction. Does anyone know a 
>remedy that won't compromise damper function? Why is this 
>sound more prevalent in certain instances than others?
> 
> 3)  Steinway Bostons - The college purchased a few new 
>Boston baby grands 3 years ago and they are all very 
>unstable. Even the brand new loaner Kawais hang on longer 
>than these guys. I have seated strings some but could do 
>more. Has anyone experienced instability problems with 
>recent Boston babygrands?
> 
> 
> thanks!
> 
> Greg Arnold
> Whitman College
> www.welltemperedtuning.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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