Stab in the dark,
This is an area, above the bass break, I find myself most unsatisfied, as a pianist, with the voicing technique of my most famous collegues. So this is an excuse to vent.
I am not sure what thunky means and I very well might not be speaking to a voicing problem, but a string problem, reflected in a sharp clang or attack and no sizzle, but dull vibration as sound fazes out. FYI, as a pure tech, don't ignore the possibility of hammer abuse here in general, esp. if a competent pianist mentions it, or using the hammer to create consistency of tone. Probably is the string. However, the experts around here have a remarkable ability to make a piano sound nasal old or new above the bass break, and kill it above the treble break. I am coming to terms as a technician at how versatile hammers are in concealing things and rectifying problems in pianos that are not voicing problems.
If that is the problem, you need to build up the hammers above the treble break, and kill them above the bass break as needed, i.e., get hardener out of the crown, and needle crown if necessary, above the bass break.
I am suspecting "thunky" is a different problem. You do have a responsibility as a piano technician not to try to save people money, and tell them the real problem before trying to save your client money.
If you don't have to wind the string around the hitch pin, and are installing a single wound bass string, restringing those particular notes and voicing them into shape, I think, is a perfectly respectful lower cost option for your client. Of course you have to protect the soundboard, ghotiing a string under the bass string. The labor will be significantly less cost, assuming the hitch pin is not beneath the bass strings. I am not familiar enough with the Baldwin G to say.
Will you lose the client by estimating the cost of replacing all bass strings? Will voicing in replacing the bad ones make you look incompetent? How much money does the church have? 1929? Wouldn't you rather tune something new if they have the money with a warranty? What is the condition of the case, hammers, belly, block, bushings? I got more questions than answers.
You can use a scotch brite pad to make the dull old bass bridge strings match the color
------------------------------
Benjamin Sloane
Cincinnati OH
513-257-8480
------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 05-23-2017 13:54
From: Scott Cole
Subject: Restoring tone to under strung wound strings
Hi all,
Prior to tuning a 1929 Baldwin G at a church, the music director asked if I could do anything about poor bass string tone.
When I tuned the piano, I felt that in general the bass section sounded ok, but with one glaring exception: the three lowest bichord tenor strings above the break, which are wound. They really sound thunky. I've heard a couple of suggestions, including weighting the soundboard buttons in the area with washers or installing lead weights into the bridge. But I've also twisted bass strings and ran a loop up and down on other pianos with success.
I'd probably try that first, but here's my question: since these three bichords (B2, C2, C#2) are understrung, I can twist them, but I'm not sure how I can run a loop up and down the string. Is there a way to do this?
Are new strings an option, or will this create to much discontinuity?
thanks,
Scott