Flat strings

[Newton Hunt]

Hi, All,
      Dennis Johnson is confusing two different elements of the strings.
Isaac uses wire that has not been straightened when removed from the coil.
Mapes, I have heard, does straighten their wire when it comes off the coil.
Mapes strings doo indeed hang straight where Isaac strings will curl all over
the place when hung.  Isaac feels straightening the wire makes for a string
that sings less.  Who knows, he may by right.  I remember John Ford saying
his father would drop a string on the floor and if it did not curl up he
would reject the string set.
      This is a different issue from flattening or "swaging" for wrap ends.
      Most string makers, including Bosendorfer, use a hammer and anvil
arrangement at the lathe to flatten the wire to retain the wrap.  Isaac uses
an hydrolic press to "impress" the wire rather than swage it.  His reasoning
is that impressing the wire does far less dampage to the wire than swaging.
The entire set of cores are impressed before he winds the wraps.
      I thought you would like to know.
      Have a nice week.
            Newton
            nhunt@gandalf.rutgers.edu