[pianotech] Catastrophic Events While Tuning...

[Lou Novak]

Worst for me was;
Tuning for a recording session, the D3 agraffe broke while setting the temperament.
Didn't make much of a sound, just a pitiful oink. Naturally the session was delayed - I removed the agraffe, the three individually looped strings, and scurried across town to the "shop", found an agraffe that would work - cut and looped 4 replacement strings (one extra just in case) - returned to the scene of the crime, installed the agraffe and strings - no way that D was going to stay in tune - all the while the owner was watching very closely to make sure I did no further damage. Very embarrassing -
All in all, it ended well but not right away, multiple visits were necessary - and after some time the session was on.
I still have a cassette copy of the tape with nothing to play it on! - It was 15 years or so ago, but I remember it as if it happened yesterday.
-Lou

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: J. Stanley Ryberg<mailto:jstan40 at sbcglobal.net> 
  To: pianotech at ptg.org<mailto:pianotech at ptg.org> 
  Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 4:59 PM
  Subject: Re: [pianotech] Catastrophic Events While Tuning...




        Saturday, May 15, 2010 12:46 PM
        From:"Ed Foote" <a440a at aol.com<mailto:a440a at aol.com>>
        To:pianotech at ptg.org
        I remember a bass string break in 1976.   I think Aaron Bousel was tuning a 9' M&H at Harvard when the North Bennet class was over there getting our feet wet.  It broke at the hitch pin and the end of this thing went whizzing by his head.  I have often wondered how far into me the end of a freshly broken string would go.  Anybody got any experience? 
           I always wear glasses to tune, but has anybody ever really had blood drawn by a breaking string?  (And I wonder why more older violinists don't have blind left eyes...) 



        Ed Foote RPT
        http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html

        Considering the actual mass of a violin string and its (relative) stiffness, I don't think it likely to carry far enough to be a real danger.  Fortunately!  (Tension is certainly lower, too...relatively!)


        Stan Ryberg 
        Barrington IL 
        jstan40 at sbcglobal.net 
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