String Replaced

[Keith Roberts]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
Laura, 2 out of the last 3 pianos I tuned gave out ticks coming from the =
agraffes. Both pianos had been in sort of a storage state. The =
difference in the metals will cause corrosion at that point. I brought =
out the Protex and the sound went away. Tight pins give out a loud crack =
and you will be hard pressed to overpull C4 with a jumpy pin. Maybe C7. =
I missed where you said the string broke. If it broke at the tuning pin, =
the string didn't slide at the agraffe. If it broke at the agraffe it =
was corrosion at that point. Or you were on the wrong pin, but still, =
you would have to over pull by quite a bit at C4.
Keith


  Laura wrote;

      "Now that the Middle C string has been replaced, here is what the =
technician
  thought about my Baldwin:  he said it was "not undangerous" to tune =
because
  the pins are quite tight, but when they move they move a great amount
  unexpectedly.  He thought I probably had that happen."

      A tuning pin that is still tight may give a cracking sound when =
you finally get it to move, but it won't move far enough to break a =
string. Do you have a few pins that are unusually loose for the rest of =
the piano?  If so, you can go to the next tuning pin, thinking that =
you're going to have to give it a mighty yank, like all the rest, and it =
goes zoom! Even then, I doubt that very many people would go too far =
before they stopped pulling on the tuning hammer. Perhaps what really =
happened here, is that the piano has really really tight pins, and over =
the years various tuners have been yanking those tuning pins back and =
forth trying to get that pin in tune. All that flexing of the wire can =
weaken it.

      "Apparently, there are also two or more cracks in the soundboard, =
which were
  repaired earlier, but he also suggested it makes string breakage more
  possible; somehow to do with getting the piano pitch to A 440, which =
was
  done two weeks before, but makes for tricky tuning.  Too advanced for =
me,
  I'm afraid. "

      First of all, if the cracks have been repaired, then they may as =
well not be there.  I have tuned many pianos that had cracks in the =
soundboards, and they tune just the same as regular pianos. The problem =
with the cracks is they might affect tuning stability (Never had any =
complaints, though) and they can cause buzzes against the ribs.

      "Incidentally, the technician replaced the string in about 20 =
minutes; the
  Middle C string passes under the bass strings, which makes the process =
a
  little harder and takes a little more finesse.  (It's also much more
  difficult to reach the bridge pins, since they lie under the bass =
string
  section, in order to tap them in.)  However, he noticed the bridges =
were
  made with a graphite treatment/layer for the strings to pass over them =
with
  less friction.  I asked him to lubricate them, but he didn't see the =
need
  given the graphite layer on the bridges.  Baldwin evidently has a =
clever
  feature there!"

      You mean the bridges you see there don't have graphite on them?  I =
don't think I've ever seen a piano that didn't have that black stuff on =
the bridges. Getting the string back to the hitch pin isn't really a =
problem to any of us either. Why?  Because we're not afraid to get in =
there and move those bass strings to the side if we have to. We'd =
probably touch up the tuning after doing a string replacement anyway, so =
no big deal.

      It's normal to be cautious when learning to tune, but I don't =
think that you should be so concerned. Good luck, and don't worry so =
much.=20

  =20




---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/aa/e3/f9/c7/attachment.htm

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--