Thoughts on replacing a bichord bass string; technicians please add your ideas!

We pitch raised this Bechstein model 7 and although we lubricated the pressure points and took the strings down first, a bass string broke. Normally we try to splice them as then there is a perfect match with the other strings, but in this case, there wasn't enough room to do this, so we had to send off the string to be copied. We also made a copy for the other string on the bichord as sometimes the new string is a bad match and there is false beating or similar. In this case, we changed both strings, keeping the original ones in the bottom of the piano for future technicians to use, though, in reality, they are extremely unlikely to need to do so.
If you are a technician and have any useful ideas we would love to hear from you.

[@dibaldgyfm9933]

Thank you for sharing knowledge.

[@James_Bowie]

Nice work, as usual.

[@KALSAFilms]

I was offered a Bechstein model 7 for cheap. The owner said the pinblock had been replaced recently, but I see tiny cracks running horizontally along the tuning pins. He offers a two year guarantee. Is he trying to fool me?

[@stevenvanstadenvanstaden4317]

I've seen cracks in ancient un-restored Bechsteins (grands) that have not caused the pins to loosen and I've guessed that these might have been only in the top ply/layer of the block, but I'd be very wary of this and would not buy a piano with what's claimed to be a new pinblock (wrestplank) revealing cracks, no matter how slight. Replacing the block is very expensive so the "cheap" piano might not be inexpensive at all. If the pins are holding despite the cracks, they might be doped with some product that could hold them only temporarily - perhaps for two years.

[@sarbachpiano]

To replace single strings I just turn the pin 3 times and wind it back. So I don`t take the pin out, it still holds. The other method is to put in pintite and put the same back in. As a restorer I try to avoid mixing pins! The person who will restring the piano wont`t be happy otherwise...

[@RobertsPianos]

Yes, I agree, often the pin doesn't need replacing so I understand your comment. Marcus