hi pressure pressure bar

[Clyde Hollinger]

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Tom,

I'm really sorry this happened to you.  I'm really really glad it didn't happen
to me.  My paranoia over breaking strings has subsided a little, but anything
breaking in that midrange makes me break out in a sweat, especially if it's a
spinet where removing the action will mean installing a new set of rubber
grommets, too!  (I have learned to replace broken strings in a spinet without
removing the action, if I have to, but it's not a picnic either way.)

I'm trying to visualize your situation.  I never ran into a pressure bar quite
that tight.  First, a caution that it may be difficult to loosen that pressure
bar screw with all the tension it's under.  Also, you may not be able to tighten
it again without letting down the tension of neighboring strings.  If the screw
gets stressed too much it could break, after which you might need medication for
depression.

Depending on how close together the pressure bar screws are, you may even have to
loosen the next one or two a little.  You don't want to risk cracking the
pressure bar, although I don't know how likely that is to happen.

I would encourage taking your time, go to a little more bother than you might
otherwise to make the job as easy as you can.  When you have the new string in,
tighten down the pressure bar just enough to get a decent tone in that area.  It
is a Kimball, after all.

Regards,
Clyde Hollinger

Tvak@AOL.COM wrote:

> Tuned a Kimball console yesterday and broke a string.  A trichord unison at
> E3/F3 broke at the becket, which surprised me since the piano was not that
> flat.  And then I found out why it broke.  The pressure bar is extremely
> tight and creates way too much friction.  I judge this on the fact that it
> was extremely difficult just to remove the broken string.  I had to use a
> pliers.  And the needlenose pliers I tried first didn't do the trick;  I had
> to get the big pliers out of the tool case and pull as hard as I could to get
> it out of there, and it went millimeter by millimeter by tug by tug.  (My
> wrist is still sore today.)  I didn't replace the string because it goes
> under the bass strings and I didn't have the tool with me (that tube thing
> from APSCO, whatever it's called) to insert the new string in place.  (All in
> all, this was my lucky day.)
>
> So I'm going back next week.  I'm worried that I won't be able to get the new
> string under the pressure bar.  I've been told NEVER loosen those screws on
> the pressure bar, but what if I can't get the string in there?  What will
> happen if I loosen that one little screw? And in fact there is one right
> there between E3 and F3.  I think that little bugger is the problem here.
>
> I would imagine that loosening the pressure bar a bit would put that register
> out of tune. OK, I can retune it.   Any other dangers here?  Will the piano
> bench fall apart or the logo decal come off?
>
> Seriously, I'd appreciate any thoughts on the subject.  It would be pretty
> embarrassing if I can't get a new string in there.
>
> Tom Sivak

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