Upright pressure bar

[Delwin D Fandrich]

Lance Lafargue wrote:

> I saw a piano today that had been restring by a PTI (piano technician
> impersonator).  One of  MANY problems was the pressure bar not being
> tightened down enough and the strings were then badly spaced.  I could
> squeeze the unisons with my fingers and easily move them around.
> QUESTION(S):
> 1)Should I lower the tension (it's 80 cents flat) then tighten the pressure
> bar, or can I tighten it without lowering tension?
> 2)How should I decide how tight is tight enough when I don't have a clue
> where it was originally?  (How much angle do I need?)
> 3)When restringing an old upright, how do you (ya'll in the south) measure
> it's original height before destringing?  Do you use a ruler or use wedges
> like measuring plate locations, or what??  I assume that you all remove it
> and replace it after restringing.
> I'll probably regret working on this thing, but this guy's grandmother and
> great-grandfather played it and family members were "ghostwriters" for
> "stars" years ago.  I wish so much that you could all see what this PTI did
> to this piano when he restrung it!  We could all have a "chin wag" over a
> stout and yuk it up!!!!  THANKS
> Lance Lafargue, RPT
> New Orleans Chapter
> Covington, LA.
> lafargue@iamerica.net

Lance,

If the piano were at pitch then, yes, you would have to lower tension before setting the position of the pressure bar. How
much would depend on the geometry of the pressure bar system and on just where the pressure bar is before you start. With the
piano 80 cents flat this may well be the easiest pitch raise you've ever done. I'd check the pitch regularly across the
scale--every octave or so--as you tighten the pressure bar screws. It will probably come up a bit unevenly.

As to just where the pressure bar should be in relationship to the V-bar and the tuning pins, please check the June, 1995
issue of the Journal. Most of what I have to say about the subject--along with a drawing to illustrate--is presented in my
article "V-bars, Pressure Bars & Duplex Scales." If, after reading that piece, you still have some questions, let me know.
I'll do my best to answer them.

--ddf