Schraffed bass strings

[Joel Rappaport]

Richard Moody wrote:
>
> Is schraffed the same as scuffed?  Is scuffing done with a file by
> scraping it up and down on the string before the winding is applied?
> Richard Moody

I meant to mention it in my post on this subject.  Yes, this is all the
same:  a file is used to rough up or scratch the core wire as it is in
the spinning machine under tension.  This is done only between the
swadges (areas of the core which are flattened in order to hold the
copper winding securely at the beginning and end of the winding).  And
of course it is done just before the copper winding is spun onto the
core.  We do it with a diagonal motion of the file through the
appropriate area.

David Sanderson is giving a class about bass strings soon in New England
and also at the National Convention in Florida.  Maybe he will have some
pictures of the process.  Dave, can you fill us in?

Note also that there exists a hexagonal core wire.  The advantage of
this for the bass string maker is that swadging is not necessary; the
six edges of the core hole the copper very well at any point you care to
begin and end.  It saves lots of time.  Also, I _have_ heard that it is
not necessary to twist a bass string with a hexagonal core since the
copper is held all along its wound length very securely by the six
edges.  The disadvantage of "hex" core is in the scale design.  Of
course you would measure the core wire from flat surface to flat
surface, but that doesn't give you an accurate cross section area
measurement of the core wire for your calculations.  Naturally, there
are formulas for the area of a hegagon, but then the "diameter" is not
the same as the area of a round core wire and special calculations would
have to be made when designing up replacement wires, let's say.  Is it
that far off?  Does it make that much difference?  I don't know.  This
is what was explained to me at the Scale Design class in Ludwigsburg,
Germany at school.  We were urged not to mix the design of round and hex
cores.

Gee whiz!  This is too interesting.  But I have to go get some work
done.....

Joel Rappaport
Round Rock, Texas