Hex wire

[Bdshull@AOL.COM]

Yea, Ron.  

But since I had to go this afternoon to tune at the same institution that has 
the 2 Grotrian 275's with the hex core wire, I brought my SLR lens and looked 
at the wire....the light was poor (left my penlight in the car) and the 
(friendly) teacher was busy, and the wire was rusty. I couldn't tell for 
sure.   See Bill counting the rusty wire sides.... I had never heard of 5 
sided wire before!  Still doesn't rank up to the high level of my verdigris 
"fungus" - which Jim H. had to resurrect again today....But still I hope 
you'll take a look at my e-mail about my 6'3" Sohmer.  I liked your idea 
about moving the bridge, but I don't want to take the plate back out.

About Don Porrit's remarks concerning universals (bass strings, that is):  

<I have never seen a universal string I could like>

I have similar feelings.  One reason for this, though, is that years ago I 
bought a set from a tuner's estate and started to use them.  Bad idea.  He 
had bought them years before that - and probably kept them coiled the whole 
time.   I think Kieth is right about universals being a viable repair;  I 
just prefer to tie or replace - with matched bichord sets where possible.  I 
like tying (the only difference in the piano's interior appearance is the 
splice, and it stabilizes quickly).  I don't like the splice in an otherwise 
clean and new-like 20 year old Steinway in a home, for example.  But a new 
string of any kind is too obvious.  The bass strings are too old for a new 
string, too new for restringing.

But the European pianos using hex core wire aren't using universal strings - 
far from it.  I don't think they do it just for gripping, but it may be the 
case - like universal strings.  The only problem I had on the 275 was when 
lowest B (BO? there are weaknesses in our nomenclature) broke - boy, was that 
a buggar to tie!  But only because of the large diameter wire and the tight 
working quarters.  It's holding fine.  But we will probably restring this 
piano in a year or two.  I know Ron Overs thoroughly rescaled and rebuilt a 
275 (Mark Bolsius put me on to Ron, and Ron was generous enough to e-mail me 
in detail about the work - but did not mention hex core wire).  I wonder what 
he thinks about the use of the hex core wire.  Ron O?

Bill Shull
University of Redlands, La Sierra University
Loma Linda, CA

 
In a message dated 99-05-11 22:28:53 EDT, you write:

<< Oops!
 I went out and dug up some OLD universals and checked. Yep, sure is
 hexagonal core. My apologies, I misremembered something it turned out I had
 forgotten entirely. Well, that's how long it's been since I used one. Now
 I'm wondering where, or IF, I saw the pentagonal core I thought I
 remembered. Sorry 'bout that.
 Sigh...
  Ron  >>