<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">  <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <link rel=File-List href="cid:filelist.xml@01C75A51.0296DA40"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="time"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="date"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='tab-interval:.5in'> <div class=Section1> Is this piano subjected to heavy usage, perhaps in a church?  If it is, that would explain a lot of string breakage.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>             Paul McCloud<o:p></o:p>             San Diego<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of ginnybear@att.net Sent: <st1:date Month="2" Day="27" Year="2007">Tuesday, February 27, 2007</st1:date> <st1:time Hour="9" Minute="10">9:10 AM</st1:time> To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Birdcage Tech, <st1:place>Baldwin</st1:place> String Breakage <o:p> </o:p> <div> Does anyone know of a piano tech who is willing to work on a Danish birdcage/overdamper piano in <st1:City><st1:place>Seattle</st1:place></st1:City>?  I was able to tune the piano, but it's "near the end of its wear cycle" and I don't want to get involved with repairing it.  Not much wrong with it yet, but it's old, of course.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Second and unrelated, I had a weird multiple string breaking experience recently.  It's about a 6' <st1:place>Baldwin</st1:place> grand, with a hidden (haven't found it yet) serial number, looks pretty new.  It's one of those <st1:place>Baldwins</st1:place> where it's hard to get the pin to move without moving your hammer much greater than usual, but you gotta do it for the sake of stability.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> On my first visit there almost a year ago, it presented with a broken string, a bichord near the top of the bass.  I replaced it, and tuned the piano (and later replaced it with a pair of custom strings).  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> When I came back a few weeks ago, two strings broke while I was tuning.  One was next to the string that had broken previously, one was in the high treble.  It really shot my nerves, the combination of trying to set the pins stably without breaking further strings!  And I was wondering, why so many broken strings on what looked like a pretty new piano?<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> In the checking around I've done, the two most likely suggestions seem to be that either the piano underwent some abuse (kids or prior owners- it was bought in an auction?), or the hammers might need reshaping.  I was also encouraged not to be too timid in turning the pins til I can feel the bottom move, thinking that if a string breaks it's better to do it when I'm there.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Finally, I could note I'm closing in on 500 pianos tuned.  Not the most experienced person on this list, but not a total beginner either.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Thanks for any help on either of these issues.  Broken strings really raise my blood pressure!<o:p></o:p> </div> </div>  </body> </html>