Twisting bass strings (physics)

[Jason Kanter]

Ron, please don't take "erudite hoo-hah" as a criticism! I LOVE erudite
hoo-hah. /Jason
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron Nossaman" <RNossaman@KSCABLE.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2002 5:59 PM
Subject: Re: Twisting bass strings (physics)


> >I've always wondered why you can twist the bass strings with obvious good
> >results, but need be so careful to avoid twists in installing plain steel
> >strings. "False beats!" was the warning.
> >
> >Now, after all this erudite hoo-hah about the physics of soundboards, I
> >wonder if some of the scientific-minded might describe what happens to a
> >string that is twisted, tensed, and struck? Clearly, twisting tightens
the
> >copper wrapping; but what does it do to the sound-generating qualities of
> >the core (or of a plain steel string)? And how do "false beats" enter the
> >picture?
>
> Erudite hoo-hah being what it is, you don't need to worry at all about
> twisting plain strings on installation. It doesn't make any detectable
> difference whatsoever one way or another. It tightens the wrap on wrapped
> strings - if you twist them the right way. False beats in plain strings
> mostly result from loose bridge pins, and mostly in the mid to upper
> treble. Kinks in wire can cause odd noises lower down in the scale, but
> twisting isn't normally or realistically a factor. That's yet another of
> the "conventional wisdom" things that doesn't actually prove to be the
case
> in practice.
>
>
> >Maybe the only real concern in the plain strings is that a twist *and* a
> >U-turn around the hitch pin might create a "kink", and maybe THAT's the
> >source of false beats. But I'd like to understand the physics better.
> >
> >Inquiring minds want to know.
> >
> >jason kanter * piano tuning * piano teaching
>
> In this case, the physics are just fine. It's the concept is stillborn.
>
> Ron N