[pianotech] cleaning/restoring tone of bass strings

[Euphonious Thumpe]

   Put heavy plastic between the strings and the case, and blast with a  non-water based cleaner. Naptha will do ( and can actually be sprayed anywhere inside the piano, without dissolving anything, because it's a  thinner, not a  solvent ) but non-chlorinated brake party cleaner works better at blasting crud out from the windings. ( If you have a shower curtain draped behind the strings of an upright that have been removed from their hitch-pins and pulled up over the keybed, for example, you will see debris accumulate in puddles of the stuff.  Very gratifying! ) 
   But I'm loathe to suggest this, because the stuff is D_A_N_G_E_R_O_U_S!!! It's mostly xylene, which will mess you up--BIGTIME!!!
It will go RIGHT THROUGH 3 layers of disposable vinyl gloves ( without even dissolving them!!! ) and the finger you use on the aerosol button will, in all likelihood, have no sensation for 3 months. And then there's your brain....... Wear, of course, a quality professional carbon filter mask with disposable cartridges, and non-vented goggles, but be prepared, anyway, to feel like your I.Q. dropped 50 points, for at least a  week, if enough of this stuff "gets through". ( And it probably will. And that will affect your work, severely. It also makes you feel no emotions..........)  

Euphonious Thumpe


--- On Mon, 12/1/08, Shawn Brock <shawnbrock at fuse.net> wrote:

> From: Shawn Brock <shawnbrock at fuse.net>
> Subject: [pianotech] cleaning/restoring tone of bass strings
> To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Date: Monday, December 1, 2008, 11:42 AM
> List,
> 
> I know we had an insightful article in the Journal some
> time back about restoring tone to bass strings.  Apparently
> some of my copies of the PTJ were lost in my move back to
> Cincinnati, so I don't have what I need when I need it. 
> The problem strings are just a few bychords and the piano is
> an old Smith and Nickson art case.  The fellow who bought it
> got a heck of a deal and it don't need a lot of work. 
> We have to take care of these bass strings though.  He will
> be using it in a professional recording studio and tubby
> bass notes just won't do.  So other than the obvious
> turn and role what would any of you recommend?  
> 
> Regards,
> Shawn Brock, RPT
> 513-316-0563
> www.shawnbrock.com