Replacing plain wire

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: <A440A@aol.com>
To: <caut@ptg.org>
Sent: November 10, 2001 2:19 AM
Subject: Re: Replacing plain wire


> Stephen writes:
> <<Modern pianos are scaled (for the most part) at well below the breaking
> strenth (many semitones), and you have to have some stragne conditions
> before you get even into the plastic zone. >>
>
> Greetings,
>     The modern piano is usually scaled so that the wire will break when
> raised a minor 3rd. from its intended pitch.  Roughly calculating,(in my
> head, where there is a lot of misc. junk), the elastic limit is usually
> reached when the wire is raised about 200 cents.
------------------------------

Generalizations like this tend to make me nervous.

The 'modern' piano might be scaled all over the place within a given
instrument. The treble wire might well be stretched to 65% or 70% of its
breaking strength even disregarding any stretch. The low tenor might be down
around 25%. The bass string cores might be anywhere from 15% to 20% up to
70% plus.

I'd be very reluctant to count on it being such that the elastic limit is
not reached until the pitch is raised about 200 cents.

Del