<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><style></style></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I understand your point Matthew. I think you understand mine too. I’ve been tuning full time for over 37 years now and have encountered plenty of situations where the wire was faulty in certain sections but, to this day, I find no excuses for the pianist to repeatedly break wires “at will.” As you said, you had a broken string wall of fame as if you pride yourself in that. Fine. I don’t agree with it though and won’t. I had a Yamaha C7 once where the pianist broke over 110 wires on that ONE piano alone. There was nothing wrong with the piano but, there was plenty wrong with his technique of smashing the keys with his fingers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Jer<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Matthew Todd<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, September 20, 2011 12:51 PM<br><b>To:</b> pianotech@ptg.org<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [pianotech] Petrof vertical string breakage.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Jer,<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Obviously, it is the person actually playing that will break a string.  My point is the fact that some music requires the type of forceful playing that would cause string breakage in the first place.  And as far as you saying "many people play the exact same music as the next person and rarely break wires"" this is something that has too many variables to actually see if this is true or not.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>And for the comment "some pianists pride themselves in their ability to break strings at will", I will admit that in my performing days, I did have a broken string wall of fame at one time :-).  But that was only because the piano I was practicing on at the time was M&H from the Aeolian days.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><u><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>TODD PIANO WORKS</span></u></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <br></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>Matthew Todd, Piano Technician</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'> <br></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>(979) 248-9578</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'><a href="http://www.toddpianoworks.com/" target="_blank">http://www.toddpianoworks.com</a></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> Gerald Groot <tunerboy3@comcast.net><br><b>To:</b> 'Matthew Todd' <toddpianoworks@att.net>; pianotech@ptg.org<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, September 20, 2011 8:41 AM<br><b>Subject:</b> RE: [pianotech] Petrof vertical string breakage.</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><div id=yiv64153250><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Yep.  Most of the time piano wires break, is the cause of the player, not the cause of the piano itself or of the composer.  Many people play the exact same music as the next person and rarely break wires.  While pianos can have faulty wires, this is generally not the case.  Whatever the song might be, it doesn’t mean BEAT the piano into submission until are wire breaks.  Some pianists pride themselves in their ability to break strings at will.  </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Matthew Todd<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, September 20, 2011 9:31 AM<br><b>To:</b> pianotech@ptg.org<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [pianotech] Petrof vertical string breakage.</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Jer,</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Have you also taken into consideration that it may just be the composers (and/or publishers) fault why strings keep breaking and not the professors?  I mean, when you come across an "fffff" marking, it is not to be taken lightly  :-).</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><u><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>TODD PIANO WORKS</span></u></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <br></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>Matthew Todd, Piano Technician</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'> <br></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>(979) 248-9578</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'><a href="http://www.toddpianoworks.com/" target="_blank">http://www.toddpianoworks.com</a></span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> Gerald Groot <tunerboy3@comcast.net><br><b>To:</b> pianotech@ptg.org<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, September 20, 2011 7:49 AM<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [pianotech] Petrof vertical string breakage.</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div id=yiv64153250><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Watch him play.  Find out how hard he plays and what he plays to make it break.  Don’t say anything about suspecting that it might be HIM that is the problem because he may just set back and not play as hard then.  Ask what happens at that point when it breaks.   Chances are, my guess, would be that it is him that is the problem in one particular song that he likes to play.  I run into that frequently at my college when one particular professor is practicing the same song over and over and over again for a recital or concert.  She’s broken the same strings on the same song yet, when she changes songs, the strings stop breaking.  She has a VERY hard touch and this is what is causing it and she knows it.  I’ve tried replacing with smaller and, larger diameter wires. It makes no difference in her case…  </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Jer</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Al Guecia/Allied PianoCraft<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, September 20, 2011 7:30 AM<br><b>To:</b> Pianotech List<br><b>Subject:</b> [pianotech] Petrof vertical string breakage.</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>I have been servicing a 2001 Petrof vertical since 2006 with no problems. In Aug 2010 my customer called and thought a string may have broken. It had and I replaced the string (#14 1/2) and tuned the piano. I tuned the piano again in Jan 11 & May 11 everything looked good (by the way, he is the only player and plays only classical music). I just got a call that a string has broken again and he thinks it may be the same one. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>This piano has agraffes throughout. Any thoughts or suggestions? And if it is the same string should I go with one size smaller?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Al -</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>High Point, NC</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></body></html>