<HTML>In a message dated 10/3/2003 8:59:08 AM Eastern Daylig= ht Time, richard.ucci@att.net writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT= : 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">What if the piano is already a = full tone down? Does the tension still need to be lowered? </BLOCKQUOTE> In my experience the gap typically closes up substantially when the tension = is reduced. This makes for much less strain on my c-clamps trying to sqeeze = the thing back together. I think this alone makes it worth the time dealing = with the coils and string spacing. will wickham </HTML>