Odd agraffes

Maxpiano@aol.com Maxpiano@aol.com
Fri, 20 Dec 2002 22:16:55 EST


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This week I went to tune a Bennett-Bretz upright I had tuned once before in 
1980.  All strings cross the bridge on a stamped metal agraffe that at first 
glance resembles a supply house bridge repair agraffe.  Each agraffe has a 
termination bar toward the speaking length.  A second bar providing the 
offset fits into a notch on either side of the agraffe.  The agraffe is 
affixed to the bridge by a screw which is inaccessible without lowering the 
tension and slipping this second bar out of its notches.

They seemed fine 22 years ago, but on this visit there were some awful buzzes 
and rattles which I tend to blame on the agraffes.  In the bass, the rattle 
sounded like a loose bridge, but on sporadic notes rather than a whole 
section; pressing on the bridge had little effect.  As a trial, I lowered the 
tension on one treble note, slipping the agraffe apart to tighten the screw 
but am not sure if I got any improvement.  Fortunately, the customer did not 
have high expectations and is perfectly happy with the result of my work!

Anyone have experience with these?

Bennett-Bretz is a Stieff brand, but every one I have ever seen is a dead 
ringer for Kohler & Campbell.  I assume it was Stieff's low-price line made 
by K&C and that this was an experiment that failed.

Bill Maxim, RPT
Maxim Piano Service
Columbia, SC

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