<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1"> <title></title> </head> <body text="#000000" bgcolor="#ccccff"> Tapping strings down to eliminate false beats is good - giving the bridge pins a tap is even better.  Tapping the bridge pins in just a fraction has several advantages: it positions the string at a "new" termination point on the bridge pin, and it pulls the string back down onto bridge.  One danger of tapping the string itself onto the bridge is embedding it too deeply into the the bridge cap, creating a poorly defined termination and associated tonal problems.<br> <br> I am attaching a photo of a sliding weight impact hammer for tapping bridge pins.   I use it every time I tune a grand to eliminate false beats.  During tuning,  it is a simple unhanded operation to set the tool tip on the bridge pin of the offending string and give it a quick tap, without having to change my sitting position.  Then I pick up the tuning hammer and continue tuning again.<br> <br> <br> <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.pianofortesupply.com/impacthammerinfo.html">http://www.pianofortesupply.com/impacthammerinfo.html</a><br> <br> <img src="cid:part1.01000103.06000003@pianofortesupply.com" alt=""><br> <br> Jurgen Goering<br> Piano Forte Supply<br> ------------------------------<br> Cy Shuster wrote:<br> <blockquote type="cite" cite="mid200504130745.j3D7j5u16975@bridget.rudoff.com"> <div><font size="2">First visit to a rebuilt 1917 S&S D, not well-maintained, and exposed to humidity swings (10 years after a rebuild, and there's an 8-inch crack right behind the bridge, about octave 6).  Lots of false beats around C3, so I decided to seat the strings (tapping with a brass rod right in front of the speaking length pin).</font></div> <div> </div> <div><font size="2">I was surprised at the variety of sounds I heard.  Mostly the note sounded in a strange way, with sustain.  Sometimes the sustain was shorter; this seemed to correlate to the string having climbed up the pin.  Sometimes there was a loud thunk: the rod slipped off the string and hit the bridge (oops!).</font></div> <div> </div> <div><font size="2">It seemed that one could gather valuable diagnostic information by listening to the variety of sounds produced... if only I knew what to listen for.</font></div> <div> </div> <div><font size="2">Suggestions?</font></div> <div> </div> <div><font size="2">--Cy Shuster--</font></div> <div><font size="2">Bluefield, WV</font><br> </div> </blockquote> </body> </html>