Les, Did you measure the speaking length? Dear fellow listers: What is the "normal" speaking length for C8 in a Steinway S? Amazing coincidence. I was working on a Steinway S, s/n 48xxxx, last week which was missing the top shared string of C8. I replaced it with no. 13 wire, and it broke at about A#7 in pitch while pulling it up. So, assuming it was me, I tried it again. Bang! Broke at the V-bar. I shoe-shined the v-bar to remove grooves and tried again. Bang! Broke at the v-bar. I tried no. 12.5 wire, with graphite at the bearing points. Bang! This time at the bearing between the tuning pin and the v-bar. I tried no. 12 wire. With squinty eyes and going very slowly, I pulled it up to within about 20 cents of C8 and the pitch stopped rising even though I was moving the pin. So I left it flat. John Travis' "A Guide to Restringing" shows 12.5 wire for B7 and C8 for an S. The plate of this 20 year old, factory original S is clearly marked 13. The C8 speaking length on this one is 2.5 inches. I checked a few other pianos in the vicinity, including a S&S D, and found 2 inches for no. 13 wire at C8. The v-bar on this S curves down visibly at the right end, which appears to increase the wire angles on both sides of the v-bar, getting worse as you go from about A7 to C8. The left string of C8 is holding at pitch, but had been replaced by someone else earlier. I don't know if it is just too long a speaking length, or too much string angle, or a combination. I only know it doesn't work as is. Any suggestions? Greg Graham > ------------------------------ > Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:16:39 -0500 > From: Leslie Bartlett <l-bartlett at sbcglobal.net> > Subject: Steinway 78183 > A little help please. Today I attempted to tune the above mentioned > piano. When i arrived the highest string on B7 and the first strand on > C7 were missing. As I moved up through B7 to the remaining strands of > C8, the two remaining strands were at least 500 cents low. I slowly > pulled them up, and the string broke at about A7. ... > #13 wire was specified on the plate as going down to D7.... > However help me please- I think the gauge of the wire was just to large > at B7/C8. Can anyone give me sage advice. > > Thanks > les bartlett > houston > >
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