re breaking strings

[Roger Jolly]

Greetings,
                 A trick I learned from an old timer, use a string spacer,
and space strings, lightly tap the spacer to the left and right, then tap
strings back to original position.  We do this on some of the old trade ins
(PSO's) with rusty strings and rearly get a brakage. Some work is needed to
get rid of damper bleed. A side benifit is that it will clean up some false
beats.
Regards Roger


At 11:31 AM 08/10/98 -0500, you wrote:
>I tuned a 1902 Emerson yesterday, had to pitch raise 1\2 step. I lubed
>the (v) bar & let down each string before raising it back up. Three bass
>strings & two plain strings broke. I can just imagine how many strings
>would have broken had I not lubed & let down the strings first.
>Dick-Louisiana
>
>>
>>>>I think it's a good idea to let down the tension on the string 
>>slightly,
>>>before pulling it up--just enough to hear a "tick". If the string is
>>>hanging up at all at the bearing point and you just pull it up, 
>>you're
>>>going to increase the tension in the short section between the tuning
>>>pin and the bearing point, possibly causing it to break.<<<
>>
>>
>>In addition to all the other caveats you've mentioned, I think you're 
>>100%
>>right on the "letting down" principle, but there are many tuners who 
>>either
>>don't know or don't believe, and they will go on breaking strings 'til 
>>they
>>die.
>>
>>HOWever,  unless the piano has terminal rust and corrosion, the 
>>"letting
>>down" doesn't have to be a gross movement of the tuning lever  (the 
>>kind
>>that will produce an "ee-yow-ooo" sound which is noticeable even to 
>>the ear
>>of the client).   The motion is called "breaking flat,"  and after one
>>practices it for a while, it's automatic and hardly perceptible.
>>
>>Rob Stuart-Vail
>>(Recovering string breaker)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
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Roger Jolly
Baldwin Yamaha Piano Centre
Saskatoon and Regina
Saskatchewan, Canada.
306-665-0213
Fax 652-0505