Putting bass strings back on

[Steve Borgstrom]

I repaired a crack in the bass bridge apron on the piano shaped object 
I currently own. 1st one ever for me, went ok with a little help from 
an RPT friend (my teacher). Was able to do it only removing 8 strings, 
whooo hooo!

My buddy left, I left the piano on the tilter overnight to dry. Put the 
strings back on and remembered seeing somewhere that you are supposed 
to twist the bass strings to keep the copper from rattling. I went 1 & 
1/2 twists on each string and got it back together, put the action back 
in and started in tuning.

Got to the three lowest strings I had removed, F#1, G1 and Ab1. Tried 
to bring them up to pitch and they sounded awful, muffled, just what I 
thought the twisting was supposed to eliminate. Well, I loosened them, 
took them off, let them go where they wanted to, metal memory speaking, 
and reattached them. Tuned them up and they sounded just like the other 
strings around them.

My question is, what is this phenomenon? What causes it and how does 
one know how much if any twist to put in when putting them on the hitch 
pins?

Thanks all!


Steve Borgstrom
Brooklyn Park, MN