Goose's String Leveling Tool/Old News To Me

[ricb at pianostemmer.no]

Hi again..

Just a couple more thoughts.  In all fairness I would like to point
out that one of the most respected techs in all of Europe, and a
fellow that Steinway Hamburg relies on very heavily for some of their
most critical work is of like mind (by all reports I get)to our new
friend Mike. Mike by no means stands alone in this thinking, nor does
the teacher he referes to with so much respect.

I'd also point out that this procedure was one I ran into very early
on and used for several years before some of the guys and gals at
Sherman Clay in Seattle pointed out to me that perhaps I might think
about a few of the consequences that perhaps might not be so
desirable that result from this procedure.

Then came the Nossaman thinking along in my own life... which took
things to the far extreme on the other side.... yet there was a good
deal about his reasoning I found and still do quite compelling.

My own nature is to seek middle ground... because usually thats where
truth lies nearest.  So after quite a bit of pondering I wrote the
article that appeared in the journal a couple years back which pretty
clearly sums up the problem and what the controversy is all about.  I
left it up to each reader to decide whether a string could be
unseated in the face of positive downbearing.  

The initiative I took in starting this post... was the discovery of a
very clear and extremely easy way of proving to oneself that that
last mentioned can indeed occur.  In which case strings actually do
need seating.  

That said, whatever seating procedure that is used should not be of
character that creates an indentation in the bridge that lies below
the strings line of deflection.  I'll leave it up to the individual
to judge whether or not ones own methods and means do or dont.

Cheers
RicB