Pulsating string

[Roger Jolly]

Hi Arlie,
         Two potential causes. 1. Poor string mating causing a phase shift
from one string to the other. 2. More likely if the individual sting sounds
false by plucking, will be a faulty agraffe or badly groved forward
pressure bar. Unevenly placed bridge pins or a badly notched bridge can
give the same symptom.
Finally the string it self is kinked or rusted.
Gives you a few things to check.
Roger


At 09:29 PM 5/19/98 -0600, you wrote:
>The client has a very nicely rebuilt 85-year-old Hazelton Bros. grand.  I
>tuned it last fall and again recently.  She let me know a week later that
>she was not satisfied with the tuning.  So I went back.
>
>The culprit was a pulse in the left string of the first unison immediately
>above the bass/tenor break.  It developed that she really was satisfied
>with the tuning, but she was hearing that pulse.  Apparently this problem
>has been there before, but she thinks that last fall the pulse was gone
>after I tuned the piano.
>
>The string is firmly against the bridge.  The other half of the string
>which loops back to form the second string of the unison has a clear,
>straight tone.
>
>Any suggestions as to the cause?  Any suggestions as to the solution?
>
>Is it possible that tuning the piano to A-441 might have eliminated the
>pulse last fall?  Now it was tuned to A-440, both times per her
>instructions.
>
>Thanks in advance.  I may not see the piano again until the end of summer.
>
>Arlie
>
>Arlie D. Rauch
>Glendive, MT
>
>http://members.Tripod.com/~Turbooster
>
>
>
Roger Jolly
Balwin Yamaha Piano Centres.
Saskatoon/Regina.
Canada.