By Hannah Beckett
Replacing a string as a field technician can be a real pain. Unlike the blessed shop technicians, field technicians do not have the luxury of shop space, jigs, and lots of practice. Instead, we have to wield wires and flying bits of shrapnel while delicately working around living rooms and music studios, which are often crowded with fragile items and hazards. Stringing is not something that field techs do every day, and it usually requires no more than a handful of strings at one time. This infrequency means your stringing skills may get a bit rusty between repair jobs. To help mitigate some of these challenges, I compiled a list of quick tips to help smooth the way to a successful stringing experience.
Tip 1: Know your tools
I’m sure that, like me, most of you have practiced a lot of stringing on jigs. This is a great way to master the basics, but unfortunately, stringing inside the piano is a totally different ball game. While you’re still a beginner, it’s good to become as comfortable and familiar with your stringing tools as possible. What coil-making method works best for you? Do you get good results using a coil maker, or making coils by hand using a tuning pin? What tool works best for tightening the becket in the tuning pin hole? Do you have a good coil lifter? In my opinion, no other repair is as dependent on having the right tools for the job as stringing. Before you get to the point where you have to replace a string in the field, make sure you have your MVP tools ready to go and can confidently rely on the methods you use.
My list of tool must-haves:
Supply88 Stringing Tires - eliminates string explosions, wrestling with lost ends, stuck metal canisters, and general frustration. I don’t know how we lived without these. Thanks, Supply88!
Coil lifter - the GOOD coil lifter (Japanese version, Schaff product number R-34). It should be double-ended with the coil lifter on one side and the string spacer on the other. The coil lifter should be deep enough to actually fit around the tuning pin. Don’t cheap out on this tool. It’s not worth it.
Xuron wire cutters (Schaff # 227) - this tool holds both ends of the wire, eliminating flyaways that could damage something in your client’s home, or get lost in a carpet to be found later by an unsuspecting victim.
Clamps - I carry a tiny clamp to hold the wire at the hitch pin, and several others of varying sizes to assist with organization. I have found that when working with a shared string, clamping the wire that I’m not working with out of the way helps mitigate most mistakes (like wire crossing, tuning pin mixups etc.) and is visually less chaotic.
I also recommend carrying a string hook (Schaff # 3150). It can fit into the tighter spaces that the coil lifter can’t; you can use it to lift certain coils without scratching the plate paint; and it’s also perfect for string leveling.
Tip 2: Don’t skip setup
Take a minute to unpack all your stringing tools and place them within reaching distance. Move the bench out of the way, and clear out as much unnecessary clutter around your workspace as possible. You only have two hands for this job, so do yourself a favor and make sure everything you need is close by – you’ll thank yourself for it later.
Tip 3: Don’t push your luck
Stringing can be a suspenseful job. Either your work comes together beautifully at the end… or it doesn't. If you made a mistake mid-way and are hoping for the best outcome at the end, just save yourself the time and start over. If that coil went a bit lopsided and you’re hoping you can straighten it out at the end, you probably can’t. Just start over. If you accidentally made a slight second bend in the becket and think it might still hold, it won’t. Just start over. If you’re hoping you can stretch the string far enough to get it on the tuning pin because you over-twisted the coil, it won’t reach. Just start over. If you created a string splice that doesn’t look the way that it’s supposed to, and you’re hoping that it holds anyway, it won’t. Just start over. Needless to say, make sure that you have plenty of string on hand.
Tip 4: Don’t be hungry
Keep that blood sugar up and let your brain burn however many calories it needs to do the job well! Otherwise, your nerves may be frayed, your hands may be shaking, and the whole process will feel more difficult. Don’t start a stringing job without some food first, and don’t be afraid to stop for a snack mid-way.
Tip 5: Protect yourself and your space
To devote all of your focus to the stringing process, I recommend eliminating other stressors, like the fear of damaging the plate, or having string fragments fly away. Wear protective safety glasses and gloves, and carry a protective material in your stringing kit to pad the area you’re working in. Rest easy knowing that you’ll leave no trace of the struggle at hand. My favorite material for this is the Pianosmiths Runner, which is made out of delightfully soft but durable leather. I have also used rags and thick dishtowels, but the leather is the most protective and holds tools in place as well.
Tip 6: Go slowly and verify each step
There are about fifteen ways a stringing job can go badly, and according to Murphy’s Law, if something can go badly, it will. Before committing to a step that you can’t undo, take some time to take a deep breath and think it through so you can stay centered and grounded in the process. Because I don’t have to string frequently, I move slowly. I often think that I should be moving faster or that my client is wondering what is taking so long. But none of this is true - there’s no need to apply internal stress to the job. Your clients don’t know how long stringing takes, and you only need to be extremely fast with stringing if you are a concert technician. If you aren’t, then allow yourself to move slowly and carefully. Take some time to practice the procedures on some spare piano wire to familiarize yourself with tactics you may not have used in a while. If possible, give yourself extra time at the appointment by delaying your next appointment by half an hour. If you’re on the last appointment of the day and struggling with fatigue, see if it’s possible to return the next day for the stringing job. If you have a comfortable relationship with your client, this is usually not a problem.
Tip 7: Don’t be afraid to ask your client for some space
The first stringing job I had in a client’s home was for a very kind elderly woman who sat in the room and told me about her grandchildren the whole time I was trying to string. I was so distracted by the conversational obligation that I had to start over four times completely. After that, I learned that it’s okay to set some professional boundaries and politely ask for some space while doing a job that requires full concentration.
Tip 8: Listen to John Williams’s Raiders of the Lost Arc
Trust me on this one. I highly recommend listening to the Raider of the Lost Arc theme if you have wireless headphones. You’ll feel invincible, and your stringing job will be a success.
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