Yes, Duaine, this is good. Make sure all 3 of your coils are tight, the becket squeezed in on the pin, settle all termination points, lift and level all the strings, seat the new strings on the bridges and even the hitch pins.  The better the termination points, the better it will settle. make sure the bridge pins are snug, too....Are you charging enough for this? Perhaps all this might prompt you to do more work, hence, more pay. I used to not charge enough in the old days. 99% of folks don't realize what a big deal a string replacement is.  It is a big deal and you should charge accordingly with the rates in your area. $10 bucks is not OK, for instance,....just a thought. I'm not putting any suggested pricing out there at all, but who would charge $10 for a string replacement.  It takes too long to do that properly..... Paul <table width=100%> <tr valign=top> <td>From: <td>Ed Foote <a440a@aol.com> <tr valign=top> <td>To: <td>pianotech@ptg.org <tr valign=top> <td>Date: <td>04/01/2011 02:11 PM <tr valign=top> <td>Subject: <td>Re: [pianotech] Optimum way to stretch a new string</table> <hr noshade>   <<Is the following way - a good way to break the string or will it take the stretching? Twice now, I've pulled the string up to the next note (ex. G to G#), let it sit for a few seconds then tune it back down to (G). Would it break going up 2 notes (ex. G to A) ? Usually going up a minor third will break most plain wire. Low tenor sometimes excepted.  However, if you don't break it, but just deform it, you will likely have a bad sounding wire.        Most of the stretch on the open lengths happens instantaneously. What takes time are the bends, but they can be settled fairly quickly if you are 100 cents sharp.  The coil usually has at least 100 cents of slack in it, and the becket will never see full tension.  However, I have found that squeezing the coil with a pair of small vice grips, jaws hollowed a little to grab better, and turning in the direction of the winding will drop the tension profoundly the first couple of twists. It takes quite a massage to get the coil tensioned with the string. Regards, Ed Foote RPT