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<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>At the end of budget year, like many of
you, I look for any supplies or "must have" tools I can buy up, just so...
well you know, after all you are CAUTs! ;>)</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>Of course there's nothing like having a
small variety of shank/flange sets and/or 1/2 dozen sets of unbored hammers on
hand, for when that rainy-day project finally comes along. </SPAN><SPAN
class=200460100-17082007>This year however I was foisted by mine own pitard,
when I realized I'd used up the last trickle of last year's budget on custom
bass strings, for an instrument I'd done exactly the same thing for two years
prior! </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>So I'm sitting with two sets of identical
bass-strings for one 1963 Baldwin L. (yes the same one we're monitoring seasonal
bearing change on) One set is fresh, and the other is a March 05 vintage.
Both sets have been kept sealed nonetheless, and are shiny and new
looking.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>Then it occurs to me that we happen to have
a 1979 L, and it's earmarked for an action reconditioning and treble
re-string... so why not?</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>Well the measurements worked out quite well,
within 2 or 3mm if I recall, placing the winding just a wee bit closer
to the bridge(s). And I can live with that. </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>However, this is a "1979" Baldwin, and the
strings were made for a "1963" model................. are you with
me?</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>Anyhow after a few mixed results, we hit on
a plan that seemed to work:</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>We clamped a tapered punch in a
bench vise, placed the hitch-loop over it, then gently
tapped the loop down with a hollow dowel until the loop enlarged to "Accujust"
size. We allowed the string to rotate free and watched the deformation of the
loop very carefully.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>So far so good. The bass section sounds
great!</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>However, the tenor wounds sounded a little
dull on first raising. So we unhitched them and gave them a twist, pulled
them up, listened, then un-hitched them and gave them another
twist.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>They sounded better for a moment, then
became dull again. Whether due to their age, or our little "super-sizing"
experiment, it seemed the windings may be slipping around the core.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>So we twisted them again... what've we got
to lose?</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>Anyhow, they've been at pitch for a week or
two now, and the tenor-wounds sound just fine; no discernable beats, no rattles
and a very nice tone for this tricky-transitional area of the
bridge. </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>I'll certainly share results if things don't
last. At this point though, I think worst case scenario would mean
replacing the tenors, but not if they continue to sound this good.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>And of course no one else will likely
ever have repeat this experiment, because all of you keep the entire contents of
your inventory fecklessly stored in your photographic memories...right down to
the sizes of your Lo-Torque tuning-pins, eh Jim? ;>) </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>best regards,</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>Mark Cramer,</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>Brandon University</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007>PS In case anyone missed it, the strings
were made for an older Baldwin with traditional hitch-pins (3-4mm
diam) and the loops are (were) too small for the newer Accujust hitch
pins (about 7mm diam).</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007> </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007> </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=200460100-17082007> </SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> caut-bounces@ptg.org
[mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org]<B>On Behalf Of
</B>Wimblees@aol.com<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, August 16, 2007 5:57
PM<BR><B>To:</B> caut@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [CAUT] Dead (New) bass
strings<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000>
<DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 8/16/07 12:37:12 P.M. Hawaiian Standard Time,
jim_busby@byu.edu writes:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000080>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Hi
Wim,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The straight set
wasn’t wrapped and the color was a bit darker than the older wrapped set.
Both fairly dead. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Regards,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Jim<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>It's the darker color that's a sign that something invaded the coils of
the string. How it gets that way is a question left to metallurgists.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Wim </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR>
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