false beats was ...

[Jim]

Hi again:

comments are interspersed below.

On Tue, 15 Apr 1997, Richard Moody  wrote:

> Hi Jim, list
> 	I have not seen re-stringings where the bridge was planed, and or
> renotched, , that I was aware of.  I have never heard of it, although
> an occasional mutter about recaping, but then I probably didn't spend
> enough time in rebuilder's shops, and for now the opportunity is
> gone.  Alas for me.  This sounds like a process I would
> rather learn under a master.  Does that mean the b pins have to be
> redrilled?
No.
When a bridge is planed down or sanded down to eliminate the string
grooves, of course the bridge pins have been previously removed. The
notches will have to be re-cut to start at the centerline of the pin
holes. If no. 6 pins were used before, put in no. 7's.  If there were
hairline cracks emanating from the bridge pin holes, these need to be
epoxied first.  If it is severe, then recapping of the bridge is
indicated. If recapping of the bridge is done, do not use just any
maple. It must be rock hard sugar maple. Silver maple is not hard enough.
Softer maple will give and eventually split and will also allow b. pins
to bend.  One now defunct piano company used soft maple bridges and you
depend on the bridge pins of the bass bridge to split out almost
immediately, sometimes on the dealer's floor. I don't want to mention the
name of that company, but its initials do not rhyme with summer, fall, or
spring.

> The few (re-strings) I have done, false beats were not a problem.
> Also the *most* of the restrings I have seen did not have false beat
> problems in a few years after.
> 	I was shown how to remedy strings ridding up on the bridge pins, by
> tapping with a hammer shank.  However it is temporary.  Probably has
> to do with the sound board rather than the bridge swelling (shrinking
> I would imagine) with the humidity and temp changes. But why only one
> here or there?   The tech who showed it claimed he could get the
> string in question to do it (become false) by certain playing.

I have never seen a string deliberately made to have a beat in it.

> 	 Usually the pin is  loose, or the cap is cracked or split. Whatever
> the cause, loose bridge pins, even ones that don't look loose have to
> be addressed before any hope of eliminating false beats for longer
> than tapping.    In other words, show me a string that has a false
> beat, and I'll show you a loose bridge pin, or a seemingly tight pin
> that can be pulled with tweezers if not with fingers.  I'll bet the
> groove will be fan shaped under the string also.   If false beats are
> caused by reactions of the bridge to humidity and season changes, it
> stands to reason there should be bunches of strings in sections
> rather than a few isolated ones.
> 	Richard Moody
> ----------

My observation has been that wild strings do not come in ones and twosees
but in large bunches, except on Steinways at notes 51 or 52 where I think
factory stringers pry the bridge down to get the first strings around the
bridge pins.

Jim Coleman, Sr.

> > From: Jim <pianotoo@IMAP2.ASU.EDU>
> > To: Richard Moody <remoody@easnetsd.com>
> > Cc: pianotech@byu.edu
> > Subject: Re: String breakage (was Re: I Raise the pitch...)
> > Date: Tuesday, April 15, 1997 2:10 AM
> >
> > Hi Richard and Rob:
> >
> > Have you noticed that when one restrings a piano without planing
> off the
> > string indentations and renotching the bridge, the beats come back
> > usually within a year?
> >
> > Jim Coleman, Sr.
> >
> > On Mon, 14 Apr 1997, Richard Moody wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > ----------
> > > > From: Rob Stuart-Vail <rob_sv@msn.com>
> > > > To: pianotech@byu.edu
> > > > Subject: RE: String breakage (was Re: I Raise the pitch...)
> > > > Date: Monday, April 14, 1997 6:10 PM
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > p.s.  Today I "rendered" the strings to the bridges on a
> Steinway
> > > 45 - the top
> > > >          The result was amazing!  Most of the false beats are
> gone.
> > >  Loose
> > > > bridge pins? I don't think so.
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > 	If they (false beats) come back you will write back?? and vice
> versa
> > > of course!
> > > Richard Moody
> > >
>