<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black"> <div id="AOLMsgPart_1_3796ccfc-00a0-4b6d-ad4f-b8bd4648fd64"> <pre style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 9pt;"><tt> In fairness friends & FWIW</tt></pre><pre style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 9pt;"><tt> Really, when you think about it. you'd have to be nuts to want to make bass strings for a bunch of myopic, microscopic geek's like us.</tt></pre><pre style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 9pt;"><tt> I mean really,</tt>Think about it. If I made strings.... I'd want alot more money than any of these guys. ;)</pre><pre style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 9pt;"><tt> All bass string makers can & will have issues at one time or another. Count on it. Just like action parts makers. Hey its manufacturing & stuff happens</tt></pre><pre><tt> The first time I used JD Grandt strings all 3 sets were unusable. The problem? Was a personnel shuffle and the current maker/winder had left and the older Grandt who was struggling with his sight was trying to do it all on his own, I didn't know that till later. SO I said never again.  hmmm</tt></pre><pre><tt> However, many year later David Love encouraged me to try them and we did and as you'all have noticed ,the strings are top notch again. I can't say I hear any aural differences between the two makers</tt></pre><pre><tt> I've used Arledge for 10 years. The strings sound very good, I get southern hospitality and grace coupled with personal service and a can do attitude. No squalling about replacing the </tt></pre><pre><tt>occasional string & no excuses for it. No pointing the finger at me as if I did something to cause it,...as has happened with other makers. They double wrap all my mono chord sections on request with out the extra $48.00 charge I get from J.D. grandt to do so. </tt></pre><pre><tt> However Chip who I've dealt with for years at Arledge has left and Jim Arledge is back in the saddle. I'm sure life will go on.</tt></pre><pre><tt>I'm just saying... Never say Never</tt></pre><pre><tt>Dale Erwin</tt></pre><pre style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', sans-serif;"><tt>Ditto. Will Truitt</tt></pre><pre style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 9pt;"><tt> On Behalf Of Greg Newell Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 8:51 PM Thanks everyone for the reminder. Arledge was the string winder that I had such trouble with. Never again. Good luck if you continue with them. Greg </tt></pre> <div style="color: navy; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', sans-serif;"><tt> </tt></div> <div style="color: navy; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', sans-serif; clear: both;">Dale Erwin R.P.T. Erwin's Piano Restoration Inc. Mason & Hamlin/Steinway/U.S. pianos <a href="http://www.Erwinspiano.com" target="_blank">www.Erwinspiano.com</a> Phone: 209-577-8397 <tt><tt>     </tt></tt> </div> <div style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica;">-----Original Message----- From: Encore Pianos <<a href="mailto:encorepianos@metrocast.net">encorepianos@metrocast.net</a>> To: gnewell <<a href="mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net">gnewell@ameritech.net</a>>; pianotech <<a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a>> Sent: Thu, Jan 17, 2013 2:14 am Subject: Re: [pianotech] Bass string maker problem <div id="AOLMsgPart_0_1ebbe69b-976f-488e-a26c-c3cd0aa8c523" style="margin: 0px;font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif;font-size: 12px;color: #000;background-color: #fff;"> <pre style="font-size: 9pt;"><tt> -----Original Message----- From: <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>] On Behalf Of Greg Newell Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 8:37 PM To: <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Bass string maker problem Patrick, I had a problem where the string maker in Tennessee made strings where the winding got further and further away from the agraffes with each new string installed. I took a picture, sent them back, took measurements, string pattern, etc. only to get a set made exactly the same way. Finally I got a set that worked on the third try but they really didn't live up to the hype by others about how wonderful they were supposed to sound. I asked for but never got any "consideration" for my wasted time and trips because of their mistakes. Never again. I went back to Mapes. They're not stellar but at least I know what I'm going to get and Andy has always been most helpful whenever I've needed it. FWIW. Greg Newell Greg's Piano Forte 216-226-3791 (office) 216-470-8634 (mobile) <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gregspianoforte.com">www.gregspianoforte.com</a> <a href="mailto:gpf@ameritech.net">gpf@ameritech.net</a> -----Original Message----- From: <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>] On Behalf Of Patrick Poulson Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 3:23 PM To: <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a> Subject: [pianotech] Bass string maker problem I am having a continual problem with getting bass strings duplicated accurately. In two instances the string duplication was good for the first half and then the windings got longer and longer until they rode up over the capo bar, in the first instance, and over the bridge in the second instance. These were both upright pianos, and I did try switching the order of the strings which only made things worse. In two other pianos, both grands, the windings in the bichords were not as closer as the original ones. This problem showed up in sets from both Mapes and Schaff. Up until this happened I never had such a problem. I am about to give up and try different makers. Has anyone else been having a similar problem, and did you wind up switching. Thanks, Patrick Poulson,RPT= </tt></pre> </div> </div> </div>  </div>