<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; cha= rset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff= f"> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 3/22/2004 8:32:25 PM Pacific Standard Time, cmpiano@= comcast.net writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue = 2px solid"> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Well, yes, I wouldn't dream of replacing a = set of bass strings without running it thru Pscale.  When I find a scal= e that's "good enough"  I can just replace what's there, can't I? = IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET!!  You work on better pianos than I do.  I= just acquired a Mason Hamlin upright from 1903.  I was told by xx= x  "Don't mess with it.  They are great pianos."  Needless to= say, the scale was much much worse that I had expected.  It's my dam p= iano and I'll do to it what I want.!!!!!!!</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV>     <FONT size=4>     C= arl</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>  I was referring to the plain wire. I know bass sc= ales can vary a great deal. But even those that do don't often sound th= at bad. What I usually pickup on is difference in loudness & a thin soun= d in the top end of many bass scales. A steinway L from the twenties is scal= ed at close to 70% of its breaking strength in notes 20 thru 26 & they s= ound great even when 70 tears old. Most makers will reduce the tension there= & the sound in my opinion suffers greatly. Whimpy sounding.  Try t= o get a bass string maker to replicate this. I'm always told thats to high. = I wonder how that would look on a P scale & what desicion you'd make. I = don't think it would be an improvement.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>  But Hey define good enough. Is that "good en= ough" at average tensions of 150lbs Or 180lbs or what? Computers are great b= ut some of this is still done by ear in the final analysis.  With the e= xception of small verticals I never sat there during tuning thinking wo= w this piano is hard to tune because of the messed up string scaling i.e. Ma= son Steinway , Baldwin,Kimball Sohmer or whatever. Usually what changes in s= caling heavier or lighter wire is the tone. It gets darker or brighter but I= don't usually have trouble fitting in the intervals. Know what I mean?</FON= T></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"= >Erwins Pianos Restorations <BR>4721 Parker Rd.<BR>Modesto, Ca 95357<BR>209-= 577-8397<BR>Rebuilt Steinway , Mason &Hamlin Sales<BR>www.Erwinspiano.co= m</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>