[pianotech] String Breakage

[John Voigt]

Matthew,

Was the string in the area where the tuning pin is directly below a plate
screw?  I have found that the severe angle of the string to the tuning pin
in that area (I believe there are two pins that are particularly bad) causes
the string to start to crawl up the coil causing it to break.  If the tuning
pin has sufficient torque, I have back it out a couple of rounds to try to
decrease the angle.  You have to deal with a litte more flagpoling of the
pin, but it beats repairing strings.

John Voigt


-----Original Message-----
From: toddpianoworks at att.net [mailto:toddpianoworks at att.net]
Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2010 9:34 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: [pianotech] String Breakage


List,

I was tuning a Yamaha P22 this morning, when a monochord string broke while
I was tuning it.

I use CyberTuner, and the note was almost in tune, just a tiny bit flat, and
as I turned the pin only one notch with my hammer to bring the note slightly
above pitch so I could settle it back to pitch, the string snapped.

Is there any rhyme or reason why a string breakage such as this would occur?

Matthew
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry