<font color='navy' size='2' face='Comic Sans MS, sans-serif'>Also y<font size="2" color="navy" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">ou may wish to simply shape and voice one note first to see if  a reall change is possible  before you waste your time on a set of recalcitrant hammers.<br>   Dale<br> <br> <div style="clear:both"><font size="1" color="royalblue"><b><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, Serif"><font color="black"><font color="mediumblue" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">Dale Erwin R.P.T.<br> <font color="green">Erwin's Piano Restoration Inc.</font><br> </font></font></font></b></font><font color="darkgreen"><span style="font-style: italic;"><b><font size="1"><font size="1" color="black"><font color="blueviolet"><font color="black"> <font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">Mason & Hamlin</font><font face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">/Steinway/</font><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">U.S. pianos</font><font face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"><br> </font></font></font></font><font size="1" color="cornflowerblue" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">www.Erwinspiano.com</font><font size="1"><br> </font><font size="1" color="crimson" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">Phone: 209-577-8397</font><br> <font color="darkgreen"></font></font></b></span></font><tt><tt><font color="darkgreen"><br>  </font><br>   <font size="2"></font></tt></tt><br> <br> </div> <br> <br> <div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----Original Message-----<br> From: David Love <davidlovepianos@comcast.net><br> To: pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org><br> Sent: Fri, Jun 22, 2012 6:28 am<br> Subject: Re: [pianotech] broken strings<br> <br> <div id="AOLMsgPart_1_9477f4d6-6ccf-436a-8765-83d3b33c2119"> <style>#AOLMsgPart_1_9477f4d6-6ccf-436a-8765-83d3b33c2119 td{color: black;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;} @font-face {font-family:Tahoma; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;} #AOLMsgPart_1_9477f4d6-6ccf-436a-8765-83d3b33c2119 p.MsoNormal,#AOLMsgPart_1_9477f4d6-6ccf-436a-8765-83d3b33c2119 li.MsoNormal,#AOLMsgPart_1_9477f4d6-6ccf-436a-8765-83d3b33c2119 div.MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} #AOLMsgPart_1_9477f4d6-6ccf-436a-8765-83d3b33c2119 a:link,#AOLMsgPart_1_9477f4d6-6ccf-436a-8765-83d3b33c2119 span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} #AOLMsgPart_1_9477f4d6-6ccf-436a-8765-83d3b33c2119 a:visited,#AOLMsgPart_1_9477f4d6-6ccf-436a-8765-83d3b33c2119 span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; text-decoration:underline;} #AOLMsgPart_1_9477f4d6-6ccf-436a-8765-83d3b33c2119 span.EmailStyle17 {mso-style-type:personal-reply; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D;} #AOLMsgPart_1_9477f4d6-6ccf-436a-8765-83d3b33c2119 .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; font-size:10.0pt;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;} #AOLMsgPart_1_9477f4d6-6ccf-436a-8765-83d3b33c2119 div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> <div class="WordSection1"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:">Sometimes the scaling is to blame if the break point percentage is too high.  But hammers can contribute and pianists can too.  I would not radically alter the regulation as someone suggested.  That will just have the piano performing poorly.  I would, however, check the regulation to be sure that it’s correct.  Reshaping the hammers will probably help some.  Be sure that you level strings and make sure that the hammers are properly mated.  That’s important as you need the force of the blow distributed evenly between the strings in the unison.  If you’ve had a lot of strings replaced then it is quite possible that the strings are not level.  With badly shaped hammers string mating is impossible.  Shape the hammers so that they are slightly more pointed rather than round.  Is the piano used with orchestra and therefore needs to be somewhat brighter?  For these types of hammers compass point voicing is the best style to use.  The shoulders of the hammers can be impenetrable and since the hammers lack a lot of internal tension shoulder needling is less effective.  That the shoulders lack flexibility can contribute to breakage, however.   Compass point needling directly into and around the crown and then pounding the crown back down to settle the felt either with a small hammer or the back end of the voicing tool will create a tonal gradient that will sweeten up that piano quite a bit.  Ultimately, though, if the hammers are worn down to where they are overcentering (and to where the wood core of the hammer is more in play) then you will have to replace them.  </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"> </span></div> <div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:">David Love</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"><a href="http://www.davidlovepianos.com" target="_blank">www.davidlovepianos.com</a></span></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"> </span></div> <div> <div style="border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in"> <div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"> <a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a> [<a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org?">mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Greg Hollister<br> <b>Sent:</b> Thursday, June 21, 2012 8:46 PM<br> <b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a><br> <b>Subject:</b> [pianotech] broken strings</span></div> </div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> </div> <div> <div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="color:black">I am servicing a Young Chang grand with a history of string breakage in the top 3 octaves of the piano. The hammers have never been shaped and are quite flat . I'm going to restore the hammer shape but  I'm not sure that's the whole story.  Obviously the pianist has been getting carried away with his right hand, but are the strings themselves ever to blame? I've told the music director that shaping and voicing the hammers may not be a cure all for the breakage but that it will be worth doing in any case.  I guess I just looking for some feedback as to whether I'm taking this in the right direction.  I appreciate any help. </span></div> </div> <div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="color:black">Greg Hollister RPT</span></div> </div> </div> </div> </div>  </div> </font></font>