Why NOT to polish bass strings.......

[Stéphane Collin]

Hi Randy.

Knowing that my english can be confusing, I wanted to precise that I was 
talking about a piano hammer, not a woodworker hammer, when saying banging 
the string with heavy strokes.  Just that nobody tries this with the wrong 
tool, and then question my mind health.
Your plucking idea sounds nice.  I was also thinking about securing the 
string at the agraffee and at the bridge, as I believe that it is the 
excessively steep bending of the string at the terminations that causes 
metal fatigue and possible breakage.

John,
I agree that nothing sounds like a good new bass string.  The two occasions 
when I try to save the old string are 1° when there is only one or two 
offendable in the whole set (I really don't like those pianos with just a 
few blinking new strings among the other darker ones), and 2° when the 
historical value of the instrument asks for retaining as much of the 
original as possible.

Best regards.

Stéphane Collin


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Randy Chastain" <randy_chastain at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2007 5:03 PM
Subject: Re: Why NOT to polish bass strings.......


Gordon & Stephane,
I haven't tried hitting the bass string with a hammer. I do loosen the
objectionable string more than a little, raise the damper out of the way and
give it a few good plucks. I've had success with this and no broken strings.

Randy Chastain
Golden Gate Chapter