The main reason for loss of tone in iron wound strings is because of corrosion between the iron winding. The same holds true for copper wound strings, except, copper is less quickly to take on corrosion. If the winding corrosion is broken up, you will regain most, or at least a good portion of the lost tone. There is always some loss of tone as the result of the increased stiffness and the loss of elasticity of the aging core wire under tension. Al Jeschke Calgary, Alberta, Canada jeschkea@cadvision.com > >---------- >> From: Newton Hunt <nhunt@jagat.com> >> To: pianotech@byu.edu >> Subject: Re: wrong? >> Date: Sunday, April 06, 1997 7:20 PM >> >> >Dear list, >> > Have I been wrong all these years thinking that the winding was iron? >> >Let me know please >> >James Grebe from St. Louis >> >pianoman@inlink.com >> > >> >> Soft iron. It is less dense than copper so a larger winding can be use >as >> opposed to a too thin copper winding. Often gives a sweet mellow sound. >> Iron strings do loose tone faster than copper. Aluminum is and has been >> used when copper is just too thin to wind. >> >> Newton >> nhunt@jagat.com >> Dear list, >I have been vindicated. My further query is why would iron, not steel, >wound strings sound very good at first but change to losing their tone. Is >it because of tarnish that would settle in on soft iron very quickly or >some other reason? >thanks, >James Grebe from St. Louis >pianoman@inlink.com > >
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