New topic: Lifting the Strings

[Joe And Penny Goss]

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String Level <G>
Joe Goss
imatunr@srvinet.com
www.mothergoosetools.com
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Erwinspiano@aol.com=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2004 8:57 PM
  Subject: Re: New topic: Lifting the Strings



     Hi Dave
    Very well stated. I learned these tricks from Norman Neblett in 1979 =
& was blown away. It adds such a dimension of finesse to the sound. =
Simply lifting up on the wire at the agraffe allows the traveling wave =
to flow thru so much more efficiently that the sustain increases as the =
fundamental become more powerful. To prove it to oneself listen =
carefully to 2 adjacent bass monochords. Then pull up on one & =
straighten the bend ,then quickly listen to the 2 notes again. The tone =
is suddenly fuller & fatter in the altered note & it's so simple.
   I've got to get one of those level thing- a -ma-jigs from Goss
   Welcome back to the state.
     Dale Erwin


  > Most techs I know are not really aware of all the treasures we may =
find
  > when we delve into this subject.
  (lifting the strings)

  Hi everyone------this is perhaps the single easiest way to become a =
hero to
  your serious clients: lift, level, and seat the strings.

  Here's my method:
  1. Start from the back---press down and stretch the backscale string
  length---I use a piece of brass with a groove notched in it. Use a =
moderate
  amount of pressure; you should see and feel a nice deflection of the =
little
  string length.

  2. Tap the strings LIGHTLY down to the bridge pins, using brass or a =
hammer
  shank; tap in the direction the strings go around the pin.  Be a hero; =
reach
  in thru those damn bass strings and tap every single one of the low =
tenor
  strings.  A hassle, but so worth it.

  3. Put a string hook on the string a couple of inches in front of the
  agraffe or capo bar and pull up, with good pressure.  Do this to every
  string on the piano.  Take breaks; this can be fatiguing and straining =
to
  your lower back; treat yourself well.

  Now the strings are seated and lifted.  Here comes the magic.

  4. Level the strings.  I use, now, a little brass bubble gauge that =
Joe Goss
  of Mother Goose tools sells---it's the total bomb, dudes.  As Ric =
Baldassin
  says, it has exponentially improved my ability to level the strings on =
a
  piano quickly and relatively easily---and so satisfying, for somebody =
with
  ADD such as myself, to line that little bubble up inside those little
  lines...oooooh.

  And.....voila.  The tone gets deeper, bigger, more sustain, more body, =
more
  "sing," more creamy.....a big, big improvement.  I've done that to =
many
  pianos, raised the pitch, tuned it, and had the player sit and listen, =
then
  play.  They sometimes look at me with slight fear, like I'm some kind =
of
  wizard....how did I make it that much better in that short of a time?
  And your legend grows........

  The sad reality is that hardly any piano technicians are doing these
  simple-ass things that make a piano really come alive; doing the above
  string protocol and spending an hour getting true resilience into the
  hammers through the right kind of acupunctural needling is so =
relatively
  simple, and it's almost NEVER done; I've been following supposedly =
fabulous
  tuners for years, and have seen some of the most egregious and sloppy =
work
  in the realm of tone and action maintenance that you can imagine.
  Richard Davenport's work is flawless, and uniformly excellent----the =
gold
  standard, or one of them. There's a handful more in LA, but it's a big =
town.
  I'd love another talented, gifted, disciplined,  passionate =
musician/music
  lover as an apprentice. But I'm a harsh, harsh critic. But loving and
  respectful. Most of the time.

  As Roger Jolly says, there's gold lying right on the street for =
pianotechs
  who can operate at a high level of what Virgil Smith calls "complete =
piano
  service." Now, back off the soapbox. <g>

  Be well-----
  David Andersen
  Malibu, CA
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