Twisting bass strings (physics)

[Joe And Penny Goss]

Hi Jason,
If you over twist the string you will create a new memory in the core wire
that will damage the overtone structure of the string. This can be seen
after the string is removed from the piano having been over twisted and then
brought up to pitch.
The string will have more twists and kinks than a piece of bacon frying in
the pan.
DAMHIK!
Joe Goss
imatunr@srvinet.com
www.mothergoosetools.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jason Kanter" <jkanter@rollingball.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2002 8:38 PM
Subject: Re: Twisting bass strings (physics)


> So: what if I twisted a plain steel string, say, five full turns before
> pounding in the tuning pin and pulling it up to tension? Ten turns? From
the
> physics viewpoint, this is a non-issue? And if it IS an issue, at what
point
> does it become a non-issue? and why?
>
> || ||| || ||| || ||| || ||| || ||| || ||| || ||| || |||
> jason kanter * piano tuning * piano teaching
> bellevue, wa * 425 562 4127 * cell 425 831 1561
> orcas island * 360 376 2799
> || ||| || ||| || ||| || ||| || ||| || ||| || ||| || |||
>
>
> > From: Ron Nossaman <RNossaman@KSCABLE.com>
> > Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
> > Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2002 19:59:36 -0600
> > To: pianotech@ptg.org
> > 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
>