<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2722" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; = FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: none; = BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7> <DIV><FONT face=Tahoma size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078265414-03102005>Good morning all.</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078265414-03102005></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078265414-03102005>I would like to introduce = myself.  My name is Mark Towne, and I am an Associate Member here in sunny Las = Vegas.  I look forward to informative, educational, and thought provoking = exchanges with members of this list.  Currently studying and prcaticing towards my = eventual RPT exams.  </SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078265414-03102005></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078265414-03102005>In support of Mr. Ilvedson's post, = I, too, have utilized duplicated strings from Mapes (through Pianotek) for a = 1928 Knabe/Ampico 5'1 here at the house.  Price was, IMHO, most = reasonable and turn around time was just about 2 weeks.  They have worked out well = and look smashing with the freshly pianted frame.</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078265414-03102005></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078265414-03102005>Regards,</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078265414-03102005></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078265414-03102005>Mark S. Towne</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078265414-03102005>Associate Member, PTG</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078265414-03102005>Las Vegas, NV</SPAN></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> David = Ilvedson [mailto:ilvey@sbcglobal.net]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, October 03, 2005 = 7:37 AM<BR><B>To:</B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE: some days = you get what you ask for<BR><BR></FONT></DIV> <P><BR>As a pain in the ass as it is to come back, I've quit using = universals and always mail the string to Mapes for duplicating.   It = does cost the customer more but, imho, it matches the other string much better.   </P> <P>D.I...<BR><BR></P> <DIV style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 3px solid; PADDING-TOP: 5px"> <HR> Original message<BR>From: Piannaman@aol.com<BR>To: pianotech@ptg.org<BR>Received: 10/2/2005 6:39:31 PM<BR>Subject: some = days you get what you ask for<BR><BR><FONT id=role_document face=Arial> <DIV align=left>List,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>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.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>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.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>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.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>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.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The upside:  3 strings on the day, no bloody finger = tips.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The weirdness:  Haven't had a string break in a few = months.  Why did they all gang up on me on one day???</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>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.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Tip #2:  Lighting is a good thing when doing this sort of = job!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks for reading,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Dave Stahl</DIV></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>