<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <title>Re: Breaking a String</title> </head> <body> <div>Speaking of the wrong way...I wouldn't be breaking strings for practice in my primary piano.   Use an old piano...jig...whatever...</div> <div> </div> <div>David Ilvedson, RPT<br/>Pacifica, CA 94044<br/></div> <div style="padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; border-left: #000000 3px solid; padding-top: 5px"> <hr/>Original message<br/>From: "Matthew Todd" <toddpianoworks@att.net> </toddpianoworks@att.net><br/>To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org> </pianotech@ptg.org><br/>Received: 7/22/2008 8:10:43 PM<br/>Subject: Re: Breaking a String<br/><br/> <p align="left">In regards to No. 3, I remember when I was 15 I watched the piano tuner tune the piano in our church sanctuary.  On one note he was hitting, he had his hammer on a different pin, there was no pitch change, and did indeed break the string, so that was his fault.  He left me the bill, and I noticed he still charged for the string repair.  I will never forget that!<br/><br/>I guess in a way it is good to see how some people do things the wrong way, so you know how not to do it!<br/><br/><br/>Matthew<br/><br/><b><i>Michael Magness <IFixPianos@yahoo.com></i></b> wrote:</p> <blockquote class="replbq" style="padding-left: 5px; margin-left: 5px; border-left: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid"> <div dir="ltr"><br/><br/></div> <div class="gmail_quote" dir="ltr">On Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 12:22 PM, Matthew Todd <<a href="mailto:toddpianoworks@att.net">toddpianoworks@att.net</a>> wrote:<br/> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="padding-left: 1ex; margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; border-left: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid"> <div>I will be practicing string replacement on my Yamaha U-1.  But first, I need a string to replace.</div> <div> </div> <div>What is the proper procedure for breaking a string?  I think this was posted on the list not too long ago, but I can't find it.</div> <div> </div> <div>Thanks!<br/><font color="#888888">Matthew</font></div> </blockquote> </div> <div dir="ltr"><br/>Hi Matthew,</div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">The class I attended for learning piano tuning/technology was eons ago and an extension course of the University of the University of Minnesota.</div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">Our first class began with each of us coming to the front of the room and tuning a string beyond it's breaking point on an old upright that was there for that purpose. The point was to show us;</div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">1. That strings could be pulled beyond the acceptable pitch by quite a bit prior to breaking thereby removing the "flinch factor" from     pulling a piano to pitch.</div> <div dir="ltr"><br clear="all"/>2. We then backed off some of the wire on the corresponding string, pulled it around made a new becket and effected the repair, learning hands on, how to do the repair. In the unlikely event that pulling the string around the hitchpin didn't work, ie it broke again, we replaced it.</div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">3. Demonstrating that we, as technicians, don't break strings but rather strings break while we are tuning them, therefore we always should charge for repairing them.</div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">If you wish to knot a string there are some excellent examples in the archives.</div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">When you are ready to replace a bass string, I would suggest Mapes, they, many times, already have the scaling of most of the Asian makers, making measuring superfluous. Should you need to measure they can instruct you as to what, exactly they need. Usually core diameter, winding diameter, loop to beginning of winding and length of winding.</div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">I have called them using my cell phone while I'm still in the customer's home and ordered the string, so that I knew if I needed to measure it for them and so I could get a current price from them(copper fluctuates in price) to give the customer. </div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">Last December, a week before Christmas, I called in a string order on a Monday, midday, and had the string that Friday, no special </div> <div dir="ltr">shipping just parcel post, the way they always send them.</div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">IMHO all Mapes does is make strings, they aren't anymore expensive than the jobbers and I talk to the guy who's going to make the string. They've been at it for 4 generations making strings for all stringed instruments.</div> <div dir="ltr"><strong><font face="Verdana" size="5">The Mapes Piano String Company </font></strong></div> <div dir="ltr">#1 Wire Mill Road<br/>Elizabethton, TN 37643<br/>Phone: 423.543.3195<br/>Fax: 423.543.7738<br/><font size="+2"><a href="mailto:info@mapeswire.com">info@mapeswire.com</a></font></div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">Mike<br/>-- <br/>I feel sorry for the person who can't get genuinely excited about his work. Not only will he never be satisfied, but he will never achieve anything worthwhile. <br/>Walter Chrysler <br/><br/><br/><br/>Michael Magness<br/>Magness Piano Service<br/>608-786-4404<br/><a href="http://www.ifixpianos.com/">www.IFixPianos.com</a><br/>email <a href="mailto:mike@ifixpianos.com">mike@ifixpianos.com</a> </div> </blockquote><br/> </div> </body> </html>