bridles

[Dave Nereson]

To whomever was asking about bridle straps:
    The easiest ones are the ones with corks that you poke into the holes in
the catchers.  I remove the old ones with scissors, cutting as close to the
butt as possible.  You can make a bridle strap inserter from a hammer shank
or other small dowel and inserting the point of a tack, brad, or small nail
into the end of it (cut the head off, epoxy into a small hole with the point
sticking out, of course).  I also put a small (1/4") disk of plastic on the
end of the inserter, to act as a stop, so the inserter doesn't push the cork
all the way thru the catcher.  I don't believe in gluing them, but I know
some technicians do.  Bridles don't last forever (what does?), and when you
have to remove glued corks, it's a mess, and if the catchers are brittle,
they split.
    Some bridle wires are not the most common type (with the "loop"), but
rather a cheaper, simplified type that some Baldwins (I believe) have, with
just a U-bend to hold the tab.  These work when the piano's new, but over
the years, the hole in the tab gets larger, then the bridles slide down the
wire, keeping the jacks from returning all the way under the butt.  I've
seen many of these with a dot of glue (usually wood glue, since that's the
type most tuners have with them on the job) applied to the tab.  Doesn't
work.  Not for long, anyway.  I still don't know what to do with these.  Any
help out there?  Bridle tape tabs that develop enlarged holes on either type
of wire can develop a "click".  In this case, sometimes a dot of glue or
beeswax helps, but probably only temporarily.
    Just saw the post on putting the dab of glue under the tab. Yes! Never
thought of that.
    If the catchers are the "stub", or short type, with no hole for corks,
then you have to use the clip type, which I don't care for because they
don't stay on or stay regulated as well, but there's not much alternative
except (see next paragraph).  The clip type are hard to install, if'n y'ask
me.  I know there's a special tool, but I just use my finger, pushing the
clips onto the catcher shank from the side, then rotating them around so the
tape comes off the bottom of the catcher shank.  Sometimes the clip is too
big or shaped weird and you have to squeeze or correct them with needlenose
pliers.  And usually I have to slide them up the shank towards the butt with
a small screwdriver so they don't come out too long.  I suppose one could
apply a dot of CA glue to each one to help them stay put.  There was a real
nice-quality clip made years ago, shaped sorta like the Greek letter
'omega', but haven't seen 'em in catalogs.  Then there's another kind with
just a slit in one end of the tape, like a button hole, that slips over the
catcher.  Have only used 'em once -- not impressed, but better than nothing.
    As for other alternatives, all the catcher shanks can be pulled, and
full-length bridle straps glued into the hole in the butt (butt hole?  woops
... sorry, heh-heh) but this is a pain (in the butt -- sorry again) because
the catcher shank won't pull out of the butt if the catcher is being used
for leverage -- the catcher just comes off.  Easier to just have all new
catchers.  Or all new butts.  Or use the teeny tiny bridle strap tack
method.  I've never tried this -- looked like too much work, and I've seen
actions where a lotta them pulled loose, then the tacks fell between keys,
causing them to bind.  Then there's the
gluing-the-end-of-the-tape-to-the-catcher shank method -- don't like this
either -- looks sloppy and I don't trust them to hold.  And the other day I
saw one where the guy had laid the end of the strap against the catcher
shank, applied glue, then wrapped several turns of thread around all 88 of
'em -- on an action where he could have used the cork type!!  I agree that
the bridle performs its function best if it's fastened close to where the
catcher shank enters the butt, rather than attached to the bottom of the
catcher, but I doubt that even the most sensitive pianists could tell the
difference without looking.
    Other techs have advised how they should be regulated.  Also check that
bridle wires don't rub and squeak against neighboring backcheck wires.  I
have received at least a few sets of bridles, from one of the "big" supply
houses,  that were too short.  Didn't realize 'til I had them on, but they
held the wippens so close to the butt that let-off couldn't happen.  Had to
bend all the wires way in until I could order another set of longer ones.
So check the length first against the originals.
       Some pianos play fine with no bridles at all, or with most of them
broken, but then there's added hassle everytime you remove & replace the
action.
    Jeez, didn't know this much could be written about bridle straps.  I'm
sure other techs have even more....
    --David Nereson, RPT, Denver