Dealing with bridge damage.

[Andrew and Rebeca Anderson]

I've been maintaining a 4 year old D for this concert season at the 
local community college.  Almost every service I end up working on 
the treble bridge.  I've ultra-thin CA-treated the bridge pins to 
great benefit.  Closer investigation revealed that the persistent 
culprits had been victims of savage "string-seating".  Some were 
beating so wildly as to be practically un-tunable.  In desperation 
(concert in an hour) I treated one with gap filling CA glue.  It 
worked, but not without a price.  I've been planning to fix this 
bridge damage with a hard epoxy, selection process still ongoing 
(advice welcome and hereby solicited).  The string stopped beating 
but lost a little of its "sizzle."  I'm guessing that the CA isn't 
hard enough (or hadn't fully set).  Mind you, with the strings 
working in unison, I have more power after the treatment than 
before.  I've since done a few more that were obviously damaged.  I'm 
watching to see how they do long-term.  I don't see how I can re-cap 
the bridge with the plate still in.  Has anyone else tried to do this?

There is a little beating throughout this section and it does seem to 
be impedance related (heavy object in contact with bridge ameliorates 
it).  Probably why there is so much bridge damage--an in determined 
string-seating by a predecessor.  I am planning to do some work with 
that after I get approval to hang brass under the bridge.  We have 
also discussed a "treble tone resonator" (Pianotek belly brace) for 
this as well.  I have thought that placing a heavy weight against the 
belly rail here might be a test that could confirm whether or not 
this part would be a useful addition.  They do want some audible 
demonstration of the advantage of the expensive part.  There is a 
lack of sustain and power in the fifth and lower sixth octaves.

Overall the faculty is ecstatic with the improvement in the piano and 
I'm getting affectionate feedback that I must be nitpicking a 
little.  I guess it is only a Steinway. :-X

Andrew Anderson
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