Twangy pianos + stringing

[Tony Caught]

Hi Joe

I am back on list after a working trip over 7000 Kilometres so am a bit hazy
on this thread.

I don,t know were I heard it so it must be the gospel truth but. twisting
strings does increase the breaking tension but it also decreases the
elasticity of the string. Thus to keep the piano with good elasticity in the
string don't twist it.  By decreasing the elasticity of the string you will
increase the inharmonicity but more to the point when you twist the string
it makes it stiffer, this also shortens the sustain time and also be cause
the string is stiffer you also are retarding the harmonics of the string.
You will notice that when you sometimes twist the bass strings to tighten
the coils of the winding, the sound becomes more vibrant, if you twist the
string too much the sound becomes hollow and by untwisting that string
(after twisting too much) it does not loose its hollowness.

Regards

Tony Caught ICPTG
Australia
caute@optusnet.com.au
----- Original Message -----
From: joegum <joegum@webtv.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, November 24, 2000 2:31 PM
Subject: Re: Re: Twangy pianos + stringing


OK. I snuck a peek at this list again.  I'm not referring to a mere
90��z�Z degree twist.  (Though I personally would avoid even
that.  Old habits die hard, I guess.) In my original post, I was
thinking of a full 360 or more applied in an attempt to strengthen the
wire to minimize breakage incidents when stringing.  By any chance,
might you have experimented  with breaking tension of twisted vs.
untwisted strings.  Or, have you at least heard of twisting the string
to increase its breaking tension?   (Am I really the only one on earth
who has? Any old-timers out there? Any metals experts out there? I had
always assumed it was common knowledge in the trade. Maybe I'm just
hallucinating....)  -Joe