<HTML style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; FONT-FAMILY: MS Sans Serif"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2180" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>I attended a class given by Charles Faulk who has invented a tool which can help level strings either up or down.  Go to <A href="http://www.faulkpiano.com">www.faulkpiano.com</A> and check it out.</DIV> <DIV>    Paul McCloud</DIV> <DIV>    San Diego</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=collin.s@skynet.be href="mailto:collin.s@skynet.be">Stéphane Collin</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To: </B><A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 09/30/2004 9:57:06 AM </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> lifting strings</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello dear list.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I would like to improve my string lifting skills.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>After a new stringing job and a decent first pass on action regulation, when the strings have been tuned about 6 times and have stretched out a little, I take my hook and lift all the strings once to ensure a good termination at agraffees (or capo).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Then, I take a little piece of straight aluminium, 1 mm thick and wide as three unissons, that I put on the strings at the place of striking line.  Plucking the strings tells me what string is higher than the others, as the piece of aluminium sits on them and mutes them.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ok, nothing new up 'till now.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My problem is that I have a hard time to do an accurate job here.  The strings respond very well to the first hook pull, but after that, to refine the string height, I find that some strings still respond to hook pull, some others no way and stay at the same height.  I try then to lower the strings that are too high by knocking on them close to the agraffee with a caoutchouc hammer on a brass rod, but again, some will get down, some others no way.  I end up with a quite good but not perfect job, which saddens me much.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Any ideas about how to improve this technique ?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>And yes, sarcasms welcome foreseen that they accompany a good idea (smile).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Best regards.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Stéphane Collin.</FONT></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>