HARPSICHORD WIRE

ron.berry@thewheel.com ron.berry@thewheel.com
Sat, 03 Sep 1994 10:47:43 +0000


While I can't give you a good source of harpsichord wire, something R=
ichard
said about trying to keep the string from breaking stuck me.  Putting
smaller wire won't lower the breaking point percentage of the wire.  =
It is
the speaking length of the wire that is the major determination for
Percentage of breaking point.  If you put a larger wire it is stronge=
r but
it weighs more and you have to get it at a higher tension to get it t=
o
pitch.  Thus the BP% remains the same.  I have always thought that a =
small
amount was to be gained by using slightly larger wire to resist impac=
t
breaks, but that seems less critical on a Harpsichord than on a piano=
..

I once found a poorly built spinet that was 1/2  tone flat.(so what e=
lse is
new?).  When I began raising the pitch and got into the treble I bega=
n
breaking one string after another.  I stopped and measured and found =
that
the speaking length of C88 was 70mm.  It should normally be 52mm.  I =
left
the piano below pitch.  I ran 70mm through my calculator and found th=
at it
would have to be at 110% of BP to get to the required pitch.

What does this have to do with harpsichord wire?  I don't know.

Ron
Ron Berry
ron.berry@thewheel.com
~~~
 * VbReader 2.01 #NR * Ok, now for a quick backu=C7A=D1&=FD#^1s=F0




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