Aluminum Wound Strings

[Frank Weston]

----------
> From: Delwin D Fandrich <pianobuilders@olynet.com>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Aluminum  Wound Strings
> Date: Wednesday, March 11, 1998 12:08 PM
> 
> The principles of good string scale design are pretty basic. There is not
really much
> mystery to them. It is not necessary to string hundreds of pianos to
narrow in on the
> "one" scale that might work "best" for every given piano. Perhaps it
might be helpful to
> look at it this way: If the acoustically perfect stringing scale for any
particular piano
> is given a tone quality rating of 100, and if the original stringing
scale ranks, say, 50
> on this scale, then the first shot at rescaling might get us to some
point between 90 and
> 100. Extensive evaluation might enable us to tweak the scale and ensure
that we get to
> 100. Now why should I be content to stay at 50 when I know that, even if
I don't get all
> the way to 100, I can certainly get to 90 or 95 with my first effort?
> 

Del,

If scale design is pretty basic and there's no mystery, why do techs pay
you to rescale their pianos?  I maintain there's some art involved, and
some experience required to be able to generate a good scale on the first
try.  A one shot attempt by the average tech without experience on similar
pianos will most likely yield unsubstantial improvement or worse.

Another issue is the character of a vintage piano.  By "improving" the
scale, isn't it likely that some of the qualities that originally made the
piano attractive might be lost?  Musically, the rescaled piano may be more
perfect, but it just might be that a quirk in the original design is what
made the piano interesting in the first place.  Why else would Cindy
Crawford and Madonna not have those unsightly moles removed?

Honestly folks, I didn't intend to get into a debate on the merits of
rescaling.  All I really wanted was to find out what windings I had and who
would duplicate them.

Frank Weston