Hazen's Question re. rescaling/liking/knowing.

[Delwin D Fandrich]

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  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: HazenBannister@cs.com=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: May 01, 2002 6:25 AM
  Subject: Re: Hazen's Question re. rescaling/liking/knowing.


  In a message dated 05/01/2002 7:40:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time, =
nhunt@optonline.net writes:=20


  List,=20
   What I don't understand is ,I can't go by sound,which is what I =
know,because in this case a busted pinblock took that option away.So I =
don't know how the piano sounded  =20
  to start with.I noticed yesterday the the pinblock was replaced in =
1960,as it was written on it,so I wonder if the string =
sizes(steel)written on the plate are original,or maybe someone has =
already changed this.I am relatively new at restringing on my own,and =
want to start off right, making good decisions.I have done numerous =
pianos(only one in my shop, restringing) I have put on no telling how =
many strings in the field,and on a newly strung piano as well in other =
shops.But have little or no experience in rescalling.I have the Travis =
stringing book with different scales listed,but there might be 3 or 4 =
that look like they would work,should I throw a dart?(just kidding).It's =
wonderful having vast knowledge at your fingertips,and willing to share =
it,thanks much.=20
  Hazen Bannister=20

Hazen,

This is where experience comes in. It is always good to have the =
original string sizes to use as a guide in developing a revised =
stringing scale. As with others who have posted on this subject, I would =
be very cautious about arbitrarily raising the overall string tensions =
of any piano.=20

When I develop a stringing scale (whether it is for a piano we're doing =
in-shop or simply a scale I'm working up for someone else) it is =
generally a two-step process. First work out what the original =
manufacturer put on there and then work out the modified scale. The wire =
sizes may break in different places and there will nearly always be =
half-size progressions rather than whole-size progressions but the =
overall scale tensions in each section will generally be pretty close to =
the original. The exception might be a piano having a very uneven scale =
and that I'm familiar enough with and have enough experience with to =
know the plate and structure can take some additional tension in a =
particular area.=20

The idea with 'rescaling' is not to make the piano into something it was =
never intended to be...you're not -- or shouldn't be trying -- to make =
it 'more powerful' or some such thing. You should be trying to make it =
more musical within the structural parameters of the original design.

I've not been following this thread closely and don't know what piano =
you're working with, but someone with enough experience -- say a couple =
of thousand scales under his/her belt (or slide rule/four-function =
calculator/programmable calculator/computer) can probably look at your =
speaking length numbers and come with a well balanced and safe scale for =
your piano without seeing it or analyzing it in person.

Personally, I'd want to see the numbers from your specific piano before =
choosing a bunch of wire sizes. The Travis book was an excellent tool in =
its day but there are too many things that can change between the =
factory model designation and the real world. Besides, some (most?) of =
those factory scales leave lot to be desired even if you guess right.

Del


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