Pure Sound, was:Rescaling GH1 tenor section

Piano Forte Supply pianoforte@pianofortesupply.com
Sat, 26 Feb 2005 13:02:42 -0800


This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
David Porritt wrote:

>     When replacing funky sounding low tension wire with Pure Sound
>     wire should you go back with the same size?
>
Pure Sound wire was originally developed with Victorian Era instruments 
in mind, for lower tension scales.  Modern high tension wire is 
incapable of recreating the tone of those pianos, because its sound is 
plain bad at low tensions. 

Pure Sound has a tensile strength which is about 10 - 15% lower than 
modern wire.  Not surprisingly, Pure Sound wire has been found to 
drastically improve the sound of modern pianos in instances where the  
short string lengths result in low break % of the wire at pitch.  
Typically, these areas are the low tenor and also the lowest wound 
monochords, especially in short instruments.

Replacing the offending unisons with Pure Sound of the same gauge can 
bring good results at a low measure of  investment and invasiveness, 
compared to re-designing bridges, etc.  I also understand that the 
rescaled wound bichords, often turn out so thin that it can be difficult 
finding a string maker to make them.

I have feedback from technicians who have entirely restrung modern 
Steinways with Pure Sound and swear by the results.  One wrote me: 
"concerning the Pure Sound wire, I like it very much.  It is easier to 
work with (softer), loop making is simple, as it bends very easily, it 
settles in much faster than traditional cast wire (a lot less 
"stretching"), has a cleaner sound with less false beats, and is much 
more stable in the long run.  What I like about it the most is that it 
sounds better in a way that I cannot quite quantify-- purer maybe? 
(hence the name Pure Sound), less "garbage" in it."

This is definitely a versatile material with more applications than 
restringing the odd museum piece!

Jurgen Goering
Piano Forte Supply

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/62/38/eb/e8/attachment.htm

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--


This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC