<HTML><HEAD> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1264" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV> <DIV>If you haven't already done so, try and sell the customer a wool string cover for the inside of the piano.  They are kinda pricey but very effective at keeping rust off the strings.  There may be other sources, but LaRoy and Judi Edwards sell very good ones and can be reached at 800 924 2114.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><BR><BR>-----Original Message-----<BR>From: Farrell <MFARREL2@TAMPABAY.RR.COM><BR>Sent: Oct 21, 2003 8:34 PM<BR>To: pianotech@ptg.org<BR>Subject: Rusty Stretchy Strings<BR><BR><XHTML><XHEAD><XMETA content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type"><XMETA content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1264" name="GENERATOR"> <STYLE></STYLE> <XBODY bgColor="#ffffff"></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mr. A440-or-die posting here:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I serviced a 15-or-so year old Yamaha GH1 this evening. Lady lives right on a salt water canal and leaves all windows and doors open 24/7 for about ten months out of the year here in west-central Florida.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Piano was a little rusty (never seen a piano more rusty that this one!).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Pitch was 25 to 50 cents flat and three strings were broke. Raised pitch to A441. Popped a half-dozen strings. After replacing strings the piano was up to 20 cents flat in some areas. Raised pitch again to A441. Popped a couple more strings. After replacing those, several areas of scale were five to ten cents flat. Started bringing those areas up, popped a couple more strings and then had to tell the owner that no way was this piano going up to standard pitch by me (sure glad the two bass strings that shot across the room missed that glass-fronted china cabinet). </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This piano has set a new rusty-string standard for me. I'll be going back there to fine (?) tune the piano in a week or two - at whatever pitch the piano settles at (my expectation is that it will be somewhere below A440). But my question is could these strings be so weak that they stretch much more than usual - kind of like a stretch right before it breaks? It seems that when you bring a string up to standard pitch, it stretches and settles at a lower pitch. Any other piano I have ever pitch-raised pretty well stays where I put it - but not this one. I've never seen anything like it.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>When removing a few of the old rusty broken strings, I would grab the string with a pair of pliers to yank it out - and the sting broke again - I've never before broke a piece of piano wire by just tugging on it!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I told lady it is time to restring. Maybe that PureSound stainless steel wire would be of benefit in this piano. The owner did tell my that she is not changing her lifestyle for her piano, and that she is going to keep that piano until she dies (I'd say she was 40s-ish and pleasingly healthy, so that may be a while!).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML><PRE> Mark Wisner </PRE>