Hello all,

I have a question, maybe you can help me.

My piano had its first tuning in 20 years recently. It had to be tuned a semitone lower because of the rusty strings (some broke, but I realized that this was due to the tech not lowering the pitch before proceeding as I later read on this forum it should be done in a case like this).

The first notes, related to the thicker bass strings, make a very unpleasant sound. Most of them, when you hit them hard with the hammer, make a metallic noise but it is not only that. There is some other issue, I mean, if the metallic noise was not there the sound would not be nice to the ear.

I read that to stop the metallic noise I could clean them somehow but they are rusty and I don't think it is wise to remove them to do that, with the risk of the wire breaking when reinstalling them. Anyway, there should be something else that's wrong with them. The pin block seems to be ok.

Any tips? Can I do something without having to take them out or even having to release the tension?

Thanks very much in advance!

Hi:

The strings broke because the tuning was neglected, not as
a result of tuning technique. My guess, is that the piano should be
restrung.

Steve

If strings broke it was undoubtedly due to the fact that the piano was rusty and had not been tuned in 20 years. Anything that you do to this piano short of a complete restringing is going to be slapdash work. You should probably look into replacing it.

Thanks for your replies!

Unfortunately I can't afford restringing the piano.

I wouldn't like getting into the tech's ability to do his job. Maybe there was nothing that he could have done to avoid breaking the strings. I am just saying that he did not lower the tension before tuning, I was right there during the whole process.
I just mentioned that some strings broke to give you an idea of the condition of the strings, so you can figure out somehow how rusty the bass strings might be.
In some books it is adviced to tight the coil with a grip or just remove the string and twist it. What do you think about this?

Thanks!

.


How can you be sure of this?

"Lowering the tension" is something that can be done on each pin in a second or so -

and doesn't require the note to be played.

It is simply to "ease off" any rustiness in the coil.

If your piano hasn't been tuned for 20 years - and has rusty strings,

it's really not fair to blame your tuner for strings breaking.....

from what you say, they broke when still not even up to full pitch?

If the strings are in the sort of condition you describe, twisting them will surely

add to more breakages.


To me it sounds like you need to get a newer piano, or have this one re-strung.....

but if it has been neglected for that amount of time, there are most likely to be other

problems waiting to surface !

.

PinSpain:

The information that you may get here would be much more useful to the person actually doing the work, than it would be to you. Consider asking your tuner to join this Forum. There are surely many things about your piano that he noticed that you did not.

Also, a piano that is a semi-tone low will not sound its best because of the low tension. Until the piano is in a condition that it can be brought up to pitch, there is only so much that can be done. Enjoy the piano for what it is now and save up your money to buy something better.

Please,

Disregard my comments about the tech. It seems that some people felt kind of touched by that, and that was not my intention at all. I should have only mentioned that the strings were rusty.

I apologise myself for that. Keep in mind that english is not my first languaje so maybe the way I put it was not the best (was it that? Because, honestly, I never thought that this comment could have been taken as something out of place). I know that there are subtle elements on languajes that should be taken into consideration when issuing a phrase to give it a particular meaning or appeal, beyond words. I don't handle that, I've never lived in an English speaking country, sorry. I just like the languaje and read a lot but it is impossible for me to catch that ability unless I lived abroad for a while.

Thanks again and sorry.

It is likely the biggest bass strings are double wrapped. The outer layer of copper windings may be loose from the inner layer or the inner layer may be loose from the core wire. Letting down the tension, removing the loop from the hitch pin and turn the string a half or whole turn then reattaching it and bringing it up to pitch may or may not solve the problem. Old rusty strings are just that and need replacing.

some lowest bass string hv a steep curve at the upper pin before the tuning pin. some are as steep as 45deg. other bass are less angled, easier for the string to slide over when raising pitch.

when are so much older, it becomes brittle so that probably why it broke. its unavoidable, no amount of lubricant can prevent that.

i thing i learn is when i move the pin and my tunelab doesn't show any raise in pitch, its a sign of a breakage coming on the way... its either stop or get a shock in a split sec.

if the breakage is at the speaking lenght or near the bridge, its due to fatique, lowering the pitch before pitch raising won't help.

its only when the breakage is in between the tuning pin and upper termination end, lowering the pitch may help.

my 2 cents