String breakage (was Re: I Raise the pitch...)

[Jon Page]

At 12:35 AM 4/10/97 -0400, you wrote:
>There's a reason why strings are more likely to break if it's
>tuned flat before going up in pitch...
>regards
>Kuang

I have found quite the contrary. That static friction you mentioned
causes additional tension to be placed upon the wire between the
tuning pin to v-bar section. So if the wire is fatigued, the wire will
break before the tension is transfered to the speaking length.
Letting down on the pin initially allows this friction to be eased.
Then the note tunes better than had you not done so.
Whenever I was in a hurry on a p/r, strings broke more often when
I didn't 'break' the friction. You do't have to drop it a lot, just enough
to hear the 'ping'.

Jon Page
Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net)
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