<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html>   Maxpiano@AOL.COM wrote: <blockquote TYPE=CITE>An institution I (along with several other technicians) service uses a 1893 Steinway D for frequent student recitals.  Restrung two years ago by a respected local music house.  Complaining about having to replace broken strings in the capo area, asking my advice. Do worn hammers contribute to string breakage?  Seems like I have read something to that effect in these posts sometime back.</blockquote> They can, but in the area you refer to below I wonder if the cause is something else. <blockquote TYPE=CITE>Would failure to reshape the capo contribute to breaking strings?  I've asked but no one seems to know.</blockquote> I personally would like to know more about the condition of the capo before venturing an answer. But in a general sense, a capo bar can certainly be the cause of undue string breakage and can do so under a variety of conditions. Can you find out from the "music house" you refer to if the bar was reshaped, and if so to what specifications and whether or not the bar was hardened ? <blockquote TYPE=CITE>  I'll appreciate any suggestions y'all. Bill Maxim, RPT Columbia, SC  </blockquote> -- Richard Brekne RPT, N.P.T.F. Bergen, Norway <A HREF="mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no">mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no</A>  </html>