Oh Snap! Replacing a Broken String

During a lesson last Wednesday, I was demonstrating a passage for a student (a quiet, peaceful one, mind you) when a loud "pop" caused me to stop abruptly. I timidly played the note again, and hearing a metallic plunk, I let out a soft groan. Sure enough, peering into the piano I saw the broken string (A#-6). 

The good news: entirely fixable and I knew who to call. I was in need of a piano technician to tune my instruments after the move. I was referred to Pamela Ely - a wonderful piano technician who lives in nearby Etna (visit her website here: ​http://etnapianos.com/biography).

So, on Wednesday night, I sent Pamela a quick message to ask about her availability and was thrilled to receive a near-instant response. She could come in on Friday.

Removing the broken string

Numbers indicate strings size and sizing goes from right to left. Can you spot the missing string?

Tools of the piano technician trade (specifically for string replacement)

Micrometer - used for measuring piano wire. It struck me that piano strings are essentially tightly stretched wire of various lengths and thicknesses!

Tightening the coil on the new string

Felt is used to "stop" the new string. It takes a few weeks for it to stretch out, and in the meantime, there would be considerable dissonance between the strings used for the same pitch.

Tuning the new string

Excerpt from http://www.piano.christophersmit.com/strings.html: 
The treble pitches have three unison strings, the tenor range uses two unison strings, and the bass strings use only one string. The end result is that for 88 notes, there can be as many as 236 strings. Each string has a tension of 160-200 pounds, resulting in a total string tension of 35,000 pounds!