Bridge Seating (was Re: Where to notch a bridge, & relative effects ????? (Advice sought)

[Ric Brekne]

Hi Jonathan

    I understand that I have yet to achieve heavy-weight status on this
    list, and as such my post will not seem as authoritative as some,
    but in
    general I think there are some benefits to seating strings.

There are of course benefits to insuring the strings are well seated. 
There are potential dangers as well. As for <<heavy-weight status>>, 
IMPB it would be best for all if we didnt think along those lines. 

    To say a string can never become un-seated is to assume it was seated
    properly in the first place.

This is true. And all the ranting and raving in the world about how 
impossible it is for a string to be unseated in the face of a bridge 
that provides a positive bearing for the strings to seat on wont change 
that fact.  As stated by several earlier this is very frequently seen in 
out of the box pianos. Many the strings will seat themselves fairly well 
during a first tuning. But not all. Light taping behind the pins to coax 
them down is both appropriate and necessary and has no negative 
consequences IMHO.  One can forward friction numbers and pin angles and 
all manner of theorizing or modeling... but the fact remains that what 
is observable is exactly that... observable.  If what one observers is 
in conflict with some math model... then its the math model thats in 
error... not reality.



    Get a brass drift, and a very light hammer, and try tapping a few
    right at the
    pin, and at the bend (trying to "confirm" the bend in the string).
    I don't see the harm in this if done with care (though I'm almost
    positive I'll be lambasted for making such an ignorant remark).

Here I have to disagree. Seating pins requires only a very gentle 
coaxing. This is easily enough accomplished by a gentle tap on a wood 
dowel applied to the string on the bridge surface just inside each pin. 
Any more aggressive seating then this accomplishes nothing except 
deepening the indentation.. which can easily cause a couple different 
undesirable conditions.  There is IMHO no benefit at all to attempting a 
bend around the pin.  The bend will be pulled away from the pin slightly 
during the first subsequent tuning to begin with, and the pin will be 
stressed in the bridge pin hole sideways elongating the hole which is 
all to willing to be elongated in the first place.

    What do I know... I don't have the decades of experience with pianos
    that some here do - only a decade of experience with a little shop in
    Colorado known for doing semi-decent work on semi-decent pianos.

IMB that makes your observations as good as anyone elses.  I dont ask 
that anyone agrees with me or think any particular thing of me for 
expressing my opinions here.  I put out what I think makes sense to me, 
read what others write in the same spirit... and discard what I deem 
bombastic, frivolous or otherwise off topic stuff.

    Sorry if this has sounded a bit cynical - it's just a bit much
    sometimes
    with all the sarcasm oozing out of the screen into my lap. If the
    topics of discussion here are too exasperating, why add to them?

I would agree one hundred percent. But then I'm not your missionary type :)

    signed - a proponent of open discussion

Hear hear ! In the end you have to make your own calls and hopefully you 
are able to adjust these with experience. You can only do as good as 
your very best at any given time eh ?

Cheers
RicB