Cracks around bridge pins

[jamesp]

During restringing I've noticed some small cracks around the bridge pins on some notes. These are very small (about 1mm long, coming out from the pin itsef). I tried removing and replacing a pin with pliers to see how tight it was - it wasn't overly difficult to remove. How much of a problem is this? I'm concerned that I may have a problem with false notes when restringing. There are a few false notes already but I'd put that down to the surface rust on the strings.

[Barrie Heaton]

During restringing I've noticed some small cracks around the bridge pins on some notes. These are very small (about 1mm long, coming out from the pin itsef). I tried removing and replacing a pin with pliers to see how tight it was - it wasn't overly difficult to remove. How much of a problem is this? I'm concerned that I may have a problem with false notes when restringing. There are a few false notes already but I'd put that down to the surface rust on the strings.

You need some very viscose epoxy glue heat it up and with a dropper put a few drops on the pin it will run down and fill the crack leave it to dry then clean off the glue on the pin. once you get the hang of it you will have very little on the pin or the bridge.

You can do this with the string tension down and move the strings to one side - it is better done before you restring.

I have removed a full set of bridge pins filled the holes with epoxy re-drilled and repined.

Barrie,

[jamesp]

Thanks Barrie.

[Barrie Heaton]

Araldite will do it when you heat it up it goes very viscose I use to use an old tobacco tin lid and a cig lighter, if you have not got a dropper a cocktail stick will do just takes a bit longer

Barrie,

[Openwood]

What are false notes?

[Barrie Heaton]

What are false notes?

A pain

You will not find too many on your Yamaha in the treble but you will in the Bass

Find a Becy grand go to the treble play a note then mute off 2 string it will sound like a unison out of tune its got a wa wa and not a pure clean sound

Barrie

[sussexpianos]

or a Bechstein upright. For a make who has a good reputation, they sure didn't string well. Or was it intentional??
The main thing to safe guard against false strings is to not twist the wire when stringing, tap the string down ( not with a screw driver!) on the bridge at both pins and the hitch. You can get black epoxy at some places which looks OK with the blackend bridges.

[mdw]

You can get black epoxy at some places which looks OK with the blackend bridges.

Homebase do it called chemical metal, used it on a different job.

[PianoGuy]

or a Bechstein upright. For a make who has a good reputation, they sure didn't string well.

They didn't do much well really, and they're still overpriced for what they are. When they can build a Zimmermann at a sensible price it sure makes the Bechstein branded piano look pricey.

I am a fan of only a few of their designs, and the rest are also-rans bought by the kind of people who buy German products just because they feel they're better. As for the older ones, it rather puts me off that Hitler was a fan of them. His taste in general was almost as shite as his politics.

[Barrie Heaton]

or a Bechstein upright. For a make who has a good reputation, they sure didn't string well. Or was it intentional??

There are those that say it was intentional

I have found if you take out the agraphs clean them with a pipe cleaner attached to a drill dipped in some brasso polish the holes they restring very well

Barrie,

[jamesp]

Well I've tested the "araldite method"; I've done a trial restring on two adjacent notes. I removed all the bridge pins and glued as per Barrie's suggestion on one note, but didn't on the next one as there was a hairline crack but barely visible. Even so, the difference between them with new wire is quite apparent. The note with glued pins sounds much more pure. There are some beats to the one I didn't glue. Evidently the quality of termination on the bridge is extremely important - I think I'm going to be gluing every pin!