Play it Again, Sam

Hello everyone.

This isn't the post we were hoping to make.

Key-Sure have tried their hardest, but they've encountered problems sourcing the strings we need. They have been incredibly helpful in figuring out which sizes are required, but they just can't offer a timeframe for when they might be able to get them. Could take a while.

We were in contact with a Chinese company called Helin Taida, who specialise in piano wire, but the problem we keep hitting is that we need a fairly small amount - just enough to string two pianos. That's likely to be between 6-10 kg total, whereas they won't ship less than 50 kg. We don't want to order more until we know this is definitely going to work.

So, it's back to the drawing board.
 

Once again, we're e-mailing around anywhere that might be able to supply spring steel wires.

We need around 1/2 kg of each of these sizes (to the American standard, diameters in inches), though we are willing to discuss more if there needs to be a minimum order:

13-1/2 - .032
14 - .033
14-1/2 -.034
15 - .035
15-1/2 - .036
16 - .037
16-1/2 - .038
17 - .039
17-1/2 - .040
18 - .041 
18-1/2 - .042
19 - .043

So, the thinnest wire is 13 1/2 (C8) down to 19 (E3), and everything in between.

Those are the measurements Mapes were able to give us.

Please help us get the word out. If you live near to a piano shop, go in, explain the situation, beg - cry if you have to. Let's see if we can find someone with supply contacts who might be willing to help out.
 

We desperately want to move beyond this.

Key-Sure to the Rescue

Happy New Year!

Woop woop.

Looks like 2018 is going to be quite a year for us. After several months flailing about, trying to find anyone who could help us figure out the size of piano wire we need, and supply it, we have a MASSIVE -

- for Key-Sure Pianos in Durban, South Africa. They have really been incredible. A father and son team, Kishore and Keeran Chotkan, who got in contact with us after hearing about our plight. Kishore told us the size of strings we'd need without a moment's hesitation, then went off and worked out who could supply a full set. 

This is what we always hoped someone could do, but what none of the major suppliers we contacted could accomplish.

We're now at the stage where we're working out how best to get the strings here - what's the cheapest method - and we're hoping this might be the start of a long and fruitful friendship. Key-Sure have over thirty years of experience refurbishing, repairing and maintaining pianos. We've got a lot to learn from them.

[UPDATE: check out our piano string update.]