<html> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)"> <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> I’ve got a Wurlitzer C-143 (Samick) about 6 = years old, which has become a habitual string breaker.  I’m going out at = the end of the week.  Since I haven’t seen this piano for months, = I can’t remember the capo/agraffe configuration, but it seems to me = that all the breakage is in octaves  5-7.  Not confined to a particular = wire size.  The capo shape doesn’t seem particularly aggressive.  The breaks occur on long enough strings to rule out a misplaced = plate, I believe.(I haven’t taken measurements yet)  I have only seen = the piano over the last year, but this apparently started about four years = into service.  I know the condition of the hammers was allowed to = deteriorate before I first saw the instrument.  Private home, hard = player.  I suspect that the simple combination of a heavy player on a small = instrument with Ľ”+ of hammer contact is the cause, and that even though = the hammer shape has been corrected and is being maintained, the damage has already = been done.  Is there a brand-specific issue here, or something else = I’m missing?  I feel a musician would be better served with a larger = piano for a variety of other reasons, but is there a correlation between a smaller instrument and accelerated wear?  He’ll be making a decision = between simply giving restringing the upper sections a try or upgrading the piano.  I’d like some input to back my = recommendation.   David V. Anderson, RPT Milwaukee   </div> </body> </html>