<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; cha= rset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1170" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff= f"> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 4/1/04 12:19:08 PM Central Standard Time, davidskoln= ik@optonline.net writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue = 2px solid"> <BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite"><FONT face="MS Sans Serif= , Geneva">Therefore, you are much better off tapping down the bridge pin tha= n the string. </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><FONT color=#000080>But this assumes= either that the pin is not already bottomed in the hole or that you can saf= ely drive the pin into the bridge body, like a nail.</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DI= V> <DIV>There has been a lot of discussion about tapping the pin to create bett= er tone, less distortion, etc. But what are we doing? Is the better terminat= ion caused because by tapping we are driving the pin dee= per into the wood at the bottom of the hole, thus creating a more stable pin= , or are we shortening the tip that sticks out, lessening the flag poling ef= fect? </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>On a Yamaha upright recently I tapped the pins, and wound up driving th= em down below the level of the strings. I had to release tension, and put th= e pin back in, but it didn't bottom out. It almost makes me wonder if this m= ight be the case in other pianos. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So what is the real reason for tapping? More wood, or less pi= n?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Wim </DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"= >Willem Blees, RPT<BR>Piano tuner/technician<BR>School of Music<BR>Universit= y of Alabama<BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>