String spacing

[Delwin D Fandrich]

Michiel, Jerry, et al.,

I've seen this little trick done as well.  And on the right piano it can work quite
nicely.  There can be a problem, though, if the hole in the pressure bar is a just bit
oversize -- as is often the case with the pressure bars used in US built pianos.  I don't
know about German uprights.  It is then very easy for the string to slip off of the
smooth curve of the bar and become wedged between the screw and the two edges of the
hole.  If everything doesn't work just right it can easily increase string drag enough to
cause the string to break during tuning.  Either way, good luck.

Regards,

Del

-----------------------------------



Michiel van Loon wrote:

> Jerry,
> There is one thing you can do when SOME pressure bar screws and strings want
> to be in the same place.
> Tighten all screws as needed.
> Mark on the the screwhead on which side screw and string touch.
> Then remove screw and file some of the shaft on the marked side away.
> Reinstall the screw and remove the mark.
> The removal of 1 mm can solve your problem and does not weaken the screw
> enough to cause problems.
> You see this done very often in old German uprights.
> Michiel van Loon
> mvanloon+AEA-xs4all.nl
> Meppel
> Nederland
>
> Jerry Hunt wrote:
>
> +AD4-In the continuing saga of my first major overhaul of a piano (note the
> +AD4-avoidance of the +ACI-R+ACI- words), an old upright, I've got all of the strings
> +AD4-installed - not too bad for a first time effort (no, you can't see it) -
> +AD4-have chipped 5 or 6 times, tapped the strings down at the hitch pin and
> +AD4-bridge pins (no, I didn't use anything metallic for this part), spaced
> +AD4-strings.
> +AD4-
> +AD4-Regarding the string spacing, the screws on the pressure bar weren't
> +AD4-placed as strategically as they could have been, and for a number of
> +AD4-notes, mostly in the tenor section,  the pressure bar screw occupies
> +AD4-part of the space that otherwise would be occupied by the left string of
> +AD4-the tri-chord. Consequently, these tri-chords have very narrow spacing,
> +AD4-but not touching, at the v-bar. So, my question is, would you leave it
> +AD4-that way? I will be replacing the hammers, so string spacing vis-+AOA--vis
> +AD4-hammer grooves is not a problem.  As always, thanks for your help.
> +AD4-
> +AD4---
> +AD4-Jerry Hunt
> +AD4-Dallas, TX
> +AD4-