"We just broke a string on our piano"

[@NickHollis21]

Hi Josiah, though this is rare, it does happen. Those bass strings were most likely faulty from the factory. The tensile strength on the wires were compromised, so probably more may break in the future. A few years ago I replaced 10 bass strings in a Yamaha U1, customer had no idea why they were all broken. Take note of where they broke as well. Usually you'll find that they break right at the front scale bearing point.

[@PianoDoctor]

Thank you so much @NickHollis21! I can always count on the piano tuner community 😊 They did end up breaking right at the front scale bearing, so that’s probably what it was. Thanks!

[@rizash]

I’m not a piano geek, but I’m a technology geek. Has the material quality of new strings gone down in the last twenty five years or so?

[@timmyfong7500]

Can I ask how you got into piano tuning?

[@christianweatherbroadcasting]

Jesus is the only way. We have all sinned and deserve Hell. Sins that may seem small in our eyes are big in God's and are worthy of Hell, such as lying lusting and stealing. But if we repent and trust only in Jesus, he is faithful and will save us from Hell and give us eternal life in Heaven. Trust in Jesus! John 3:16 Romans 6:23❤❤❤

[@adriand7949]

Bro just asked how to get into piano tuning, not heaven.

[@Denis-in6ur]

Thank you for being honest with your customers!

[@PianoDoctor]

Wouldn’t have it any other way :)

[@jamesarthofer3413]

Its great to see honesty along with your work. You did the right thing by explaining about the “old piano”.

[@justsomeone7391]

I just had my first customer with a broken string last week, ironic that this video came up. Love the vids, by the way.

[@WrulfWroar]

Another mostly-string musician here and I confirm changing and especially TUNING UP the strings is always the most stressful thing ever.

[@SammyBoe]

It's scary for pianos because of the amount of force. Also with pianos you have to tune the new strings multiple times before they'll stay in tune. Stressful but putting on news strings definitely pays well

[@eddieshaffer-qo5cd]

I love your videos. Sometimes, I'll be scrolling on shorts, and I'll get exited when one of your videos pop up.

[@PianoDoctor]

Well, that makes my day. I’m always excited to see all of your comments

[@ВладимирЧебоксаров-ж8з]

Good evening, thank you for the video! If you don't mind, I"ll give a little advice on changing bass strings. I know that you're not asking advice and don't want to seem imdudent. So, first of all, I tend to change the pin, while changing a string, or I use smth to make it sit more tightly. And I always make about 2.5 rings on the pin, while it's in my hands. The most important part is - the masters who make new strings always say to twist a string one whole turn or half-turn following the direction of the string wire. What it does - it tightens the wire, so the string sounds better, it could be rumbly, if not done. And sometimes a new string can even ring badly, which can be managed by that operation. Also, it is important to bend the string properly, because otherwise you can be in a situation where you start to tune a string, make a little turn - and nothing happens. Then you make another one - and again nothing happens. And then, suddenly, it's like half-tone higher, then it should be with an unpleasant "cling". It's because of sometimes not proper string bending. I hope this makes sense, 'cause english is not my native language and I don't really know the terminology. Wish you good luck with your work! P.s. I really recommend you to watch the KZbin channel called "Der Klaviermacher". Unfortunately, the author is not with us, and I started to watch his videos after he passed away. His job inspired me to delve deeper into piano repairs and restoring, maybe it will help you too. His job with strings was precise.

[@christianweatherbroadcasting]

Jesus is the only way. We have all sinned and deserve Hell. Sins that may seem small in our eyes are big in God's and are worthy of Hell, such as lying lusting and stealing. But if we repent and trust only in Jesus, he is faithful and will save us from Hell and give us eternal life in Heaven. Trust in Jesus! John 3:16 Romans 6:23❤😊😊😊

[@Videopuppy]

You know it’s a good day when he uploads

[@binkusfromquinbobin]

2:05 That’s so valid bro. I always feel the same way when I’m tuning my guitar up 😂

[@Austinsairplanes]

I had a piano tuner break a couple strings while tuning my piano, he fixed them with a tuners knot and those 2 strings don't hold a tune very long at all. Not worth the money imo.

[@brendanm720]

I remember on my piano -- while it was being tuned -- one of the bass strings broke and was repaired using a tuner's knot. It's still in there thirty-something years later.

[@TheCouchAteAlex238]

Thats honestly incredible

[@alterman156channel]

The Everett console that the strings were replaced in was actually a respectable piano. As long as the bridges, soundboard, pinblock and action are still in good enough condition, the piano should be able to last a while longer. It might be a good idea in time for the customer to trade up to a large and better quality piano in time.

[@MrJahvah]

Bass strings have a LOT of force behind them when they break, so chances are that one string broke and toke out the other two on its way.

[@lionellines6351]

I had so many strings break in my old piano (a Baldwin Acrosonic from the ‘40s), and our tuner had “the talk” with us about potentially re-stringing the whole bass section or the entire instrument. We decided to look for a different piano after learning it would cost about the same. My piano teacher had just shown my mom and me a beautiful piano that was for sale nearby, and I had been baffled by its bizarre pedal arrangement. We decided to give it a look, and ended up buying it the day before it would’ve gone into a storage unit for the foreseeable future. The movers who would’ve taken it to the unit took it to our house instead, and hauled away the old piano. And that’s how I ended up with a 1908 Wing & Son five-pedal piano!

[@WorshipGuitarist4life17]

What does the 5 pedals do? I'm sure sustain, Sostenuto (middle pedal) and una corda (quiet pedal)

[@ethanvbracker]

I play violin & cello and changing those strings is stressful enough. I don't wanna know what kind of anxiety changing piano strings gives 😬

[@christianweatherbroadcasting]

Jesus is the only way. We have all sinned and deserve Hell. Sins that may seem small in our eyes are big in God's and are worthy of Hell, such as lying lusting and stealing. But if we repent and trust only in Jesus, he is faithful and will save us from Hell and give us eternal life in Heaven. Trust in Jesus! John 3:16 Romans 6:23❤

[@K4Cubing]

Imagine controlling the string breaks so that you could get MAXIMUM POWER in your fortissimo bass notes!

[@JacobPlays136]

Replacing the hammer with wirecutters somehow. It would be a heavy keypress though!

[@EmersonFreestyleOfficial]

Nice work

[@PianoDoctor]

Nice comment :)

[@vlg1728]

sometimes it cost less to repair a low value piano than to buy a new one, and that's all people can afford

[@user-lh3uz1cp7y]

Doing a complete rebuild on an unplayable piano in rough condition can cost less than buying a new inferior one, especially if the old piano is built in the earlier half of the 20th century or earlier. When you only get the necessary work done, that cost dips even lower even though it still costs several thousand dollars but that's more worth it than spending more on a piano that is too low of quality to be worth restringing. With how the world is today, it feels like most people won't understand until most of the old pianos were thrown away and become super rare and expensive in the worst condition.

[@DAVE121063]

​@@user-lh3uz1cp7yTotally agree with your comments. Sadly, the majority of 'modern' pianos are (in my experience anyway) of much lowere build quality (with a few notable exceptions) and will not stand the test of time in the way that 'older' ones have. Pianos are about more than just monetary value too, and certainly more than about making life easier for us piano tuners. It's obviously right to point out to customers whether or not a repair is cost effective, but that is only half the story. Certainly, the piano in the video looks in pretty good shape compared to many I regularly tune. Without actually being able to physically assess it I would have though it was more than worthy of a few new strings.

[@KandiKlover]

@@user-lh3uz1cp7yyeah this guy needs to just mind his own business and do his d*** job. That’s why he was called in the first place, because they like the piano.

[@michaelsmith697]

Well done! It’s a horrible job replacing strings.. they take forever to hold pitch. They keep going flat and need stretching.

[@DougPaulley]

I soooo identify with that, it happens all the time with my guitar. But much easier to tune a guitar up😊

[@DriveCarToBar]

​@@DougPaulleyyou'd think piano techs would have a string stretcher. You don't have to use one on a bass guitar, but I hate having to retune big heavy double-wound strings 11ty times. Then you might have to adjust the neck too.

[@NikF92]

Love your channel, keep it up!!

[@ElikemTheTuner]

You'd probably end up with 4 coils around the pin if you cut them that way. But you did it neatly and that's what matters the most!

[@giraffegirl1691]

So surreal as a guitarist and cellist to watch basically the same process but on a much bigger, tighter scale. I feel the pain of having to constantly retune your new string. I replaced a guitar string about 2 months ago and it is JUST barely starting to keep it's pitch.

[@freednighthawk]

It is always so weird to me, as a luthier, to hear that piano's loose their value so heavily over time. On my side of the strings, instruments tend to get more expensive as they get older, not less.

[@Leadvest]

I'd assume it's because the panels on a piano are thick, and heavily composited. So warping matters a lot more. What with joinery gaps developing over time, causing significant errors in important dimensions.

[@HowardLevitsky]

As a retired pro pianist, I offer these thoughts: because of the social history of the piano as a status symbol in the home, they are often treated more as mere furniture rather than fine instruments to be handled with great care and kept in good shape. More often than not they are not even tuned more than once a year, if that. There is also little attention to keeping room humidity in the proper range. And of course, there is much less demand for acoustic pianos now that electronic keyboards can adequately fulfill their function for most players - and much more besides. Finally, the styles of music which were written specifically to use pianos to their greatest capabilities are much less popular than in times past. Alas, the acoustic piano is rapidly becoming a quaint relic.

[@tatertot33-g8p]

Hello!! Your videos are absolutely incredible! I just can't get enough of them, they always bring a smile to my face. Just wanted to let you know that I'm a huge fan and I always look forward to your next upload. Keep up the AMAZING content and have a wonderful day! 🎹 😊 ( don't worry, I am subbed! )

[@cakeman58]

I'm really impressed by and support KZbinrs that do pro bono work in exchange for monetized videos.Where does one learn to repair pianos? Is there a school for it?

[@abe_nuh]

hi from malaysia bro, love your vids ❤️

[@LamondFan]

Her daughter breaking 3 bass strings is super old school 🔥🔥🔥

[@bigbadbillb]

Tomorrow I'm doing a tuning on a really old upright that has a dropped pitch. Never worked on a piano with a dropped pitch before, so I'm nervous! 😮

[@retread1083]

Does the location of the break in these particular strings suggest a problem in the piano?

[@tawnihartyoutuber]

my piano needs tuning one of the keys dosent work

[@tylerthompson1842]

Not everyone has 5k to drop on a newer piano. Fixing a few stings, better yet, learning to tune and replace strings on a decent old upright is a lot cheaper. It’s easier than most ppl think and the price ppl charge is robbery.

[@gfghjfgfghfj]

I know beans about pianos, but would it help to initially tune a new string, say, a half-step sharp, in anticipation of it stretching back down to approximate the correct pitch? I do something similar for new guitar strings. It would be dangerous on the old strings, but I would expect a new one to still be relatively ductile.

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

Just asking for a frend. How do you recomend tuning an upright piano that hasn't binn tuned in 9 years? The C D E F G A B C, and sharps do not sound like a half step down, however if you compare it to standard pitch it is noticebally low. Also what do you recomend as a substitute or beter a good alternative to a tuning app?🎹🎶

[@PianoDoctor]

I’ll have a video about this in the next couple months… stay tuned!

[@WilliamM08]

@@PianoDoctorwas that an intentional pun? 😂😂

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

@@WilliamM08 it was inevitable haha🎹🎶

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

@@PianoDoctor thanks, and I'll stay in tune. Hope the piano will too haha🎹🎶

[@FredKennedyIV]

How did you know I just broke a string and need to learn to fix it?

[@RubyAblett]

Hello fellow young tuner here! what kind of gloves are you wearing to protect from the strings?

[@daveyfromdownsouth7889]

Hit the resonant frequency maybe?

[@pjsmith4409]

Is there a piano tuning tool kit you recommend? My son and I are interested in piano restoration (lots of free pianos to practice on) but we're trying to find a good tool kit to start with. Thanks!

[@matthewhoward69]

Nice video! What piano tuning app do you use?

[@Shadowsmith]

At what age did you start playing the piano/keyboard?

[@PianoDoctor]

I was 4 years old :)

[@OmarAlvarez832]

Do you work in Texas?

[@kianpearson9573]

This dude is GM in Overwatch btw

[@danielcordero901]

Why is not worth fixing it?

[@red__guy]

Why does piano lose value over time?

[@musical_prayers]

Could a string of a grand piano hit the player when it breaks? I'm genuinely wondering. I saw a video a few years ago of a string breaking. It was so loud. And now I wonder if it can actually be dangerous.

[@thenotsookayguy]

It's not likely, especially if the lid is not removed.

[@jadengilbert7819]

Hey just wanted to check if you would want to work on my piano I got it for free from a church and I don't have much money to put towards it and it's a very interesting job because it's a Lyon and Healy player piano and it's very out of tune and some keys are broke and it need some repair, so just checking if you might be interested. ❤❤ Love your videos by the way

[@cannadineboxill-harris2983]

Hi there Letter for all of the Piano Companies out there. Why couldn't all of you Remake most Daddy Grand Pianos with Three and a Half Times more Lower Tone Fishing Line Nylon Strings on most those Particular Daddy Grand Pianos this will be a Half Times more Lower and better sounding Tone Fishing Line Nylon Strings on most of the Particular Daddy Grand Pianos such as for example the Eighty Eight Keys more than most of the Different Colour Pattern Daddy Grand Pianos on Every Single one of those Daddy Grand Pianos instead of using all of the normal metal strings on most of the Daddy Grand Pianos so all of the musician's will enjoy more of the particular Similar sounds of all the Daddy Grand Pianos? We all meant Eighty-Eight Keys on Every Single one of those Daddy Grand Pianos so it will be Better Progress for Every Single one of those musicians to Remake a Similar Theme and also Remake Different Tune for those particular Daddy Grand Pianos and include the Different Colour Pattern Daddy Grand Pianos so that most of the other Piano Companies would always be having the Special Opportunities to be remaking Eighty-Eight Key Version of all the Different Colour Pattern Daddy Grand Pianos on Every Single one of those Daddy Grand Pianos but with most of the Three and a Half Times more and more Lower and better-Tuning Fishing Line Nylon Strings on most of those Particular type Different Colour Daddy Grand Pianos please make sure you can Remake them to the perfect exact way of Eight-Eight Keys on most of those Different Colour Pattern Daddy Grand Piano's Please do this interesting type of Daddy Grand Piano Project for all of us Different Colour Pattern Daddy Grand Piano sound lovers out there Thank You for Understanding what I am Talking About.

[@beaulydecker7552]

So, does this make you dr. Piano?

[@chrisdanforthprince]

Do you know to play harpeji ? if you know can you play it for me🥺

[@BJGalvani]

Hi Josiah. Pending your response.

[@shookmusic3277]

that piano doesn't look that old to me. the customer was right.

[@aaronw4086]

Really? So your base all of your knowledge by just the sight of the piano? When in reality you are watching a guy who has looked at a 1000 pianos and fixed many, and you say he is wrong.

[@shookmusic3277]

@@aaronw4086 I'm a piano tuner i look at pianos every day. It is indeed probably 40+ years old. Most people like broken in pianos because of sentimental value.

[@shookmusic3277]

@@aaronw4086 the only reason i wouldn't want to replace the strings is because with that amount of age the strings will be very bright for 2-3 years or forever compared to the rest of the strings. so its often better to junk it. but for a little kid it will do just fine.

[@PianoDoctor]

You make a good point, and I wish I had time to address this in the video. There were a few major problems with the piano that I didn’t talk about. The strings breaking was just the “straw that broke the camels back” Though the piano is probably fine for a beginner student, Her daughter was very good and I thought this would be a perfect time to upgrade.

[@NickHollis21]

@@shookmusic3277 this quality of piano normally reflects the skill level of the player. Unless they're looking to upgrade, they're probably not going to notice the timbre difference. Of course we would as professionals.

[@vichernandezii]

Heeeeeeeeeck no would I splice those strings. Good move on using replacements

[@HahnJames]

You're a fine businessman. People really desire and have a need for someone who is going to be honest with them. I know your faith has a role to play, here. All I can say about that is, "Praise God!" If you ever make it over to my part of the state (Mt. Pleasant), let me know. I would consider it an honor to buy you lunch or dinner.

[@Jack-hy1zq]

You're braver than me. For a piano with 3 broken bass strings, there's a good chance that the rest of the bass strings are close to their breaking point. Were you able to tune it ok?

[@oziezangaming157]

I HAVE A RECITAL COMING

[@TheLowlyyouarenice]

What was the hardest piano you ever worked on and why?

[@TheLuvschool2]

what about do it asmr style

[@ThtsWhaSheSaid64]

I don't understand much but you're pretty much saying get a new piano just because a very tiny amount of strings broke? Even if every other string is perfectly fine?

[@norriaty]

The strings themselves are expensive, then you have to pay for them to be installed and then pay again to be retuned whilst they bed in. On an old spinet like this the cost of this work would likely exceed the value of the piano. Also, these pianos aren’t the best anyway, it will likely need more servicing in the near future and the sound of the new strings won’t match the old ones. So instead of spending money on repairs, it is wise to consider putting it towards a better piano.

[@Veso266]

I am confused Whats the point of the talk People have pianos to play, not to sit there doing nothing just to hopefully collect in value Piano is not a phone where someone dictate that after x amount of years what u used to be able to do, you wont (because there is no software update) anymore unless you buy a new one What does a new piano even offer that the old one doesnt (unless you upgrade to grandpiano) I would understand the talk if you sell pianos and you would benefit but u repair pianos so the older the piano, the more work u will have Unless I am missing something and after x amount of ysars u will not be able to get new strings and screws and keys for this piano

[@chandaramel1959]

😊

[@user-lh3uz1cp7y]

What's the reason you think their piano isn't worth fixing? We're running out of all the resources you could think of so it's always more worth fixing the old pianos than getting a new one that isn't built to the same standards of the old ones. Even in super rough condition it costs less to restore an old piano then to buy an inferior new piano.