Bass Strings

[Joel Rappaport]

List,
I am pretty new to this cyberspace stuff and have, as my first internet
act joined the Pianotech List.  It is very impressive how knowledgeable,
helpful and polite everyone is; no sarcasm or impatience.  I look
forward to my second day of Pianotech List {;>
But seriously folks, Avery Todd brought up a subject about which I have
some interest and perhaps I could shed some light.

Avery Todd wrote on 9/7:
>
> List,
>    Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever heard this before? I haven't. Does
> he mean the copper wrapping or the twist put in when installed?
>
> >Just look inside your piano at the bass strings.
> >In the northern Hemisphere the strings coil counter-clockwise. In the
> >souther hemisphere they coil them clock-wise. This prevents the very pesky
> >and unwanted torque that tends to put non-major brand name pianos out of
> >temporment in the low registers during play (no names mentioned). This is a
> >well kept secret of piano master-builders for centuries. Litte know, but well
> >respected.

Actually, the writer could mean both, since, when installing the bass
strings, we look at the way the copper is wound onto the core and twist
in that direction.  Anyway, the direction of the copper is dependent on
whether the spinner puts the copper on from left to right or vice
versa.  Another variable is whether the spinner feeds the copper going
over or under the core during spinning.  I know quite a few master piano
builders and no one has ever mentioned anything like this.
I can't really understand the hemisphere reasoning.  After all, pianos
made in the northern hemisphere (USA, Germany, for example) fare just
fine - all other things being equal - when they live in the southern
hemisphere.  Has anyone heard any different?

Regards to all -- Joel