Hi Bill, >Ron, David, List: > >Related questions: > >1: Hex core bass string wire. Some hold to the virtues of this wire over >round wire. In the pianos I service with this wire, there is just the sound >that you are talking about - a rendering noise coming from the agraffes - >which I have attributed to the hex wire. First: is hex core wire superior >to regular core wire in scale design or performance, and if so, why? >Second, >is hex wire damaging to the agraffe (or does it create problems at the >agraffe) to the extent we would not want to use it? > * Is this hex core, or pentagonal? I've seen lots of pentagonal core wrapped strings (mostly "universal" replacements), but never hex, that I recall. I thought it was because the bend angle at the edges isn't sharp enough with six sides (60), but it is with five (72). Unqualified opinions, since I haven't done any R&D to support them - I think the non-round core is to keep the wrap tight, but I think it would screw up the agraffe for the same reason. The corners bite into softer metals. I can't imagine any acoustic advantage of hex or pentagonal wire over round. The round stuff works quite dependably without adding undesirable side effects. >I have usually found hex core wire on European pianos, often with the steel >post in the agraffe. I have assumed that in the bass, especially on a large >piano, the imperfections at the agraffe are not as important. Am I wrong? * From what I've seen, that's correct. String termination gets more critical, and termination caused noises get worse, as the strings get shorter. >2. Agraffes with a forward rest. I regularly service a Feurich 7' with this >type of agraffe - the forward rest creates an angle to the string, a >termination in front of the holes and above the holes at a tight angle. >Strings rest on this forward termination. Sometimes used on European >verticals also. Frequently tuned in a recital hall. Did not need >restringing for over 10 years of constant use, and only then began breaking >strings in the non-agraffe area primarily, as usual. Agraffe seems to be >provide excellent termination. > >Bill Shull >University of Redlands, La Sierra University >Loma Linda, CA * Interesting. I've got a handful of these things in a drawer somewhere, detritus from tuners estates past, but I haven't seen them in a piano. It seemed like a good idea though. Ron
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