Broken Strings

[Michael Jorgensen]

Hi Martin,
     Hard and/or poorly shaped-well worn hammers do break strings,
sometimes even after the hammers are softened, reshaped or replaced
though less often. (This would be due to past stresses on the wire.) 
String failure caused by a hard blow usually happens at a "termination
point" which is a place where the string rides over or around a bend at
either end of the speaking length.  Strings which break due to being
forced beyond pitch usually don't fail at a bearing point.  Sometimes
strings break at the tuning pin due to faulty stringing techniques, but
this is not something I have seen or heard of with Yamahas. Some hammers
are too hard to get a needle in and require voicing using other means. 
This is related to the philosophy behind the manufacturer and is not
something you should worry about.--there are ways to voice them which
include the softening techniqes you describe.  Yamaha builds some of the
finest instruments in the world and they stand behind them and know how
to build them properly.  
     What I would be concerned about is not servicing your piano
regularly, esp. in high humidity environments.  In high humidity, pianos
go sharp in pitch, which stresses everything.  It is good you purchased
a humidity control system but this alone is not a substitute for regular
tuning and service.  A C3 is an excellent instrument and is well worth
protecting the investment by maintaining it. 

-Mike Jorgensen
Registered Piano Technician
School of Music
Central Michigan University
(not affiliated with Yamaha)


 Martin, Thomas N (MARTITN5) wrote:
> 
> Hello List,
>         This is my first post - and I don't expect to be a frequent poster.
> I'm a pianist and although I have read Arthur Reblitz's book and have even
> fiddled around with an old upright in the past - I think I'll stick with
> playing.:-)  I have a Yamaha C3 that keeps breaking strings.  I'm up to
> three now.  The piano is only 7 years old and since I've been in college - 3
> years hasn't seen much use at all.  A couple of years ago a bass string went
> out - one from G2 I think - it almost hit me in the eye.  Then early this
> year a treble string broke on me when I was practicing which I decided to
> wait to have replaced because my parents were moving to Florida and (because
> I couldn't find a buyer) were going to take the piano with them.  It hadn't
> been tuned in 3 years - because I wasn't there to play it and my father is
> always upset when something needs service - whether it is a piano or luxury
> car.  It was also very hard to get a technician in the area they lived in
> because there were so few pianos around - especially high quality ones.   I
> had a qualified tuner/technician come to there house in Florida when I was
> visiting this past June and he replaced the string, raised the pitch,
> installed a dampchaser de-humidifier, and after giving me a demonstration -
> softened the hammers with a solution that apparently contains fabric
> softener and alcohol.  This did Improve the tone - which had become too
> bright - I was always dissatisfied that I couldn't play a true ppp, but, it
> wasn't in a big room either.  He said that the hammers were too hard and
> that's why I was breaking strings.  Well, I wondered about this solution -
> because I'd never heard about it before and I try to be an educated consumer
> (he said that you couldn't needle the hammers because they would simply
> break the needles they are that hard) .  To my point though - I broke
> another bass string about a week after he was there (come to think of it I
> wonder if it was the same one as before because, although I don't remember
> for sure, they are in the same area).  My question is - is it the hammers -
> is it me - I can be aggressive if I want to be.:-)  What can I do about it -
> does it just need voicing or is it possible that the hammers are so hard
> that new hammers are needed?   The Technician is scheduled to come back on
> the Third - and I think the string is covered under Yamaha's warranty - what
> about the hammers if that's the culprit?  I never did get the regulation and
> free tunings that are part of the Yamaha warranty.:-(
> Tom Martin
> 
> http://www.geocities.com/hotsprings/villa/4107
> martitn5@juniata.edu