Hex Roslau wire?

[Lance Lafargue]

One thing I noticed on this plain hex wire in this piano is that it twists
along it's length which would seem to effect how it vibrates.  If one were
more twisted than the other two or if they were not the same amount of twist
(which would be likely) they would seem to have to beat inconsistently.  The
fact that hex bass strings are wrapped with the copper may effect this, I
don't know.

Lance Lafargue, RPT
Mandeville, LA
New Orleans Chapter
lafargue@iamerica.net


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
Of Carl W. Meyer
Sent: Saturday, September 23, 2000 1:44 AM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: Re: Hex Roslau wire?


Stephen,  Thank you for the info.  I have many questions regarding bass
strings.  Glad to find someone who is making them.

I know that many share your view that hex core doesn't give good tone.  I
can't say that I have enough experience to notice.
Now, do you have any idea why that is true if it is?
Could the process (whatever it is) affect tone?
Could the scaling formulas be wrong for hex wire?
Is the tension or inharmonicity different and why?
I just can't put my finger on any logical reason that hex core would sound
different than plain wire.  Could it be that they just take round wire and
run it thru a die and then don't anneal it or use some other process to
finish it?  I'm really curious.

I routinely use wound strings above the bass break for two to six notes.  I
usually convert those notes from trichords to bichords. Many pianos have
low tension and high inharmonicity at those notes and if you can smooth out
those curves, the piano should be more musical since that area is where the
left hand plays and it will blend in with the notes up a couple of octaves
where the right hand plays.

It has been difficult to get strings made accurately (at a decent price)
when the exposed core is the most critical measurement.  That's the
measurement that is hard to get.  It is usually
necessary to increase the exposed core at this area to increase the
inharmonicity to fit the curve.

So now, If I wind some strings with hex core and intentionally make the
windings a bit long on each end, I can remove some winding after the string
is up to pitch to get the exact exposed core I want.  A quarter inch change
in exposed core makes a big  change in inharmonicity, but
little change in tension.

This increase in exposed core is necessary since copper  is not available
in infinitely small sizes (you couldn't handle it anyway) Soooooooo, what
about aluminum wrap?  If the shape of the wire affects tone, would the
aluminum wrap sound good, bad or ugly just because it's aluminum? I wish I
knew.

Since you make bass strings, I wonder if you'd share some information.
What is the desired tension of the core wire during winding and does it
depend on size? What is the effect if the tension is too high or too low?
What is the desired tension of the wrap wire during winding and I assume
this would vary greatly with size.  I think I have a chart somewhere that
lists the tensions for winding coils for electronic components. I've
watched bass strings being made and I'm surprised that a leather gloved
hand is the only calibration used.  Oh, well! Let's hope the winder doesn't
have a hangover when he makes my strings.

One more question.  Where do I find aluminum wire and does it need to be a
particular alloy?

Again thanks a lot for your response. Sorry to get so carried away.

Regards

Carl Meyer
Santa Clara, Ca.




> [Original Message]
> From: Stephen Powell <pianotec@ihug.co.nz>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Date: 9/22/00 4:16:27 PM
> Subject: Re: Hex Roslau wire?
>
>
>
>
> >I've looked and looked for a source of hex wire to make my own small bass
> >strings to no avail.
> >I'd like to know where it is available.
> >
> >Carl Meyer
>
> Hex wire is available from Renner and Jahn, both in Germany.  As a bass
> string maker, I don't use it as I've attributed (perhaps incorrectly) poor
> tone to it.  This in both individual universal strings (yuk! - I don't use
> them anymore) and some pianos that have the entire bass wound using hex
> cores.
>
> Regards,
>
> Stephen Powell, RPT
> Auckland, NZ
>
>
>



--- Carl W. Meyer, Santa Clara, Ca.
--- cmpiano@earthlink.net