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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Yes, =
Dave,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>That was some day for you. I always =
try to
repair broken bass strings whenever possible, even if it means cutting =
back the
windings on the speaking length and making my gnott there. I find it =
works for
maybe the knot replaces the missing mass of copper. I did that on =
one-of-a-pair
of bass strings in an old Bluthner upright (vertical) and there was no =
mis-match
– isn’t that something? As for treble pairs – again I =
try
repair by “pulling it round”. Of course this can only be =
done if
the break occurs at the wrest pin (sorry, tuning pin). I keep the string =
on the
hitch by using a mini vise-clamp or even a surgical clamp (Joe G =
<G> gave
it another name, but I’ve forgotten). My light frequently comes =
from a
torch held in the teeth! Yummy!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Regards from the failing light of a =
cloudy
evening in The Village.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Michael =
G.(UK)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font =
size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</spa=
n></font></b><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span lang=EN-US =
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
Piannaman@aol.com [mailto:Piannaman@aol.com] <br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> 03 October 2005 =
05:40<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> pianotech@ptg.org<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> some days you =
get what
you ask for</span></font><span lang=EN-US><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span =
style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>List,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>=
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Friday was certainly an =
interesting
day on the job. First piano was an old Erhard upright, a nice old =
box
made in 1919, pretty good shape. It had a broken high treble =
string on
it, which I'd been aware of, and I replaced it no =
problem.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>=
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Next piano, Acrosonic, circa =
1950s.
Pitch raise, twang, G#2 wound bicord snapped. A perfect candidate =
for one
of the universal bass strings a lug around. As usual, spinning off =
excess
copper was the most time consuming part of this job. Again, no =
real problem.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>=
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>I was thinking about how much I've
improved in various repairs, thanks to many tips gleaned from this list =
and
elsewhere in the PTG. This type of repair was once something I =
dreaded,
now it's just something I do in the line of duty. "But," =
I told
myself, "don't get cocky. How long's it been since you've =
replaced a
long wire in an understrung section of a piano?" It had been =
awhile.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>=
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Which brings me to the next =
piano:
Steinway, a regular client, a nemesis piano that always finds a way to =
lengthen
the appointment beyond an acceptable length. A 1915 or so M =
re-whatevered
badly a couple of decades ago. I was hoping for the best, but it =
was the
usual 8-10 cent late-summer pitch raise. No problem, at least =
until I got
to A3. Twang. The A#3-A3 wire snapped. Went to the =
car, got
stringing stuff including tube to get string onto hitch pin. In =
the
failing light of the day, I got the job done, but time would have been =
saved
had I brought in my shop light so I could see better to route the wire =
through
the bridge pins.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>=
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>The upside: 3 strings on the =
day,
no bloody finger tips.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>=
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>The weirdness: Haven't had a =
string
break in a few months. Why did they all gang up on me on one =
day???<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>=
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Tip #1: putting some tension =
on the
wire makes it MUCH easier to get the string placed properly around the =
bridge
pins in the understrung areas. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>=
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Tip #2: Lighting is a good =
thing
when doing this sort of job!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>=
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Thanks for =
reading,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>=
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span =
style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Dave =
Stahl<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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