John Woodrow wrote: <What is the best way go about fitting a complete new set of bass strings. <I would like to send the complete set of old bass strings to the string <maker for duplication (20 year old Yamaha so I figure the scale will be <better than I can do). However, I am worried about the uneven stresses of <removing all the bass strings with the rest of the piano at pitch. Hi John: This really depends on how well built the piano is, especially the plate and braces. I remember a Foster & Co player that I had shimmed the soundboard, repainted the plate, and restrang the tenor and treble. I though the bass strings would arrive from schaff at the right time. WRONG!!......The UPS strike hit, the Post office was overloaded, and my bass strings were stuck at shaff! I knew I was in for "stretch string city" for a while anyway. I chipped the piano without the bass section, reasoning that the plain strings went all the way across, as far as the "pull" went, and shouldn't do any harm. it didn't. The piano set for a month before I got the bass strings. once they were installed, it did throw it off pitch a little bit, but I corrected it with one tuning. ( I like to feel a tuning pin twist a bit like the new ones:-) and hearing that full piano sound come back, it's beautiful!<G> if the piano is built solid and like a piano should be, it shouldn't make much difference if you let the tension down or not. Just make sure that the plate is buckled down like it should be, and all lags are tight. you might want to also hold a straight edge across the back beams if it is an upright, to make sure that the back hasn't become"racked" or unsquare.(I find this allot in old upright pianos) if it has, that means the glue is going bad that holds the frame members together and in that case it will become worse without the bass section installed, because the back could twist. in that case, let the tension completely off of it. if the back is racked by more than 1/8" you are looking at major regluing. This is almost nonexistent in grands, because of the way the grand piano is built. hope this helps. Best Regards Andy & Chris Taylor "The Lone Arranger" Tempola Music Rolls "Taylor Made" Just For You http://home.swbell.net/tempola/index.htm
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