Unwrapped ends of bass strings

[Newton Hunt]

American string makers (major suppliers) are infamous for making agraffe
ends 1.25" to 1.385" long when ordering by make/model or patterns for
full sets.  Amazingly with individual replacement strings the do NOT
shorten the copper.  When asked why they do that the made person in
charge said he did not know, that was just the way the make them.  

The only way I have found to get what I want _was_ to supply only data
sheets.  Now it seems even those are not being followed.

I am confused.  Unfortunately a normal state of affairs for me. :)

Currently I am waiting for direct measurements from the piano for the
second time hoping that information can help prevent the same problem
with a set ready to print.

		Newton

John Delacour wrote:
> 
> At 21:17 02/10/01 -0400, Newton Hunt wrote:
> >This should show what I mean.
> >
> >This set was made, by a known provider, from a verified set of
> >specifications I supplied.
> >
> >Needless to say, I, and the rebuilder, are annoyed no end.
> 
> Quite rightly so, and yet the error is very regular and consistent,
> which
> shows that either the marker-out was cutting corners or
> misinterpreting
> your data.
> 
> On a grand with agraffes, the copper on both strings should be the
> same
> distance from the agraffe, of course.
> 
> It has always been English practice to work from a rubbing plus any
> patterns and specifications the customer likes to provide.  If a
> customer
> sends me either just the old strings or just a list of measurements, I
> charge an extra fee for the added time required to work in this way.
> It
> would be impossible for this error to occur working with a rubbing.
> 
> What you have here is presumably a Steinway with the bridge pins in a
> straight line instead of staggered in the normal (proper) way for
> equal
> speaking lengths.  I am guessing that your 'copper line' at the
> soundboard
> bridge is good and that for some reason he has given both strings of
> the
> bichords exactly the same cover length, as would be required in most
> pianos.  If you specified differential cover lengths (as you should
> have)
> and he thought he knew better and equalized them, then he has cocked
> up.  In the hypothetical case that you specified equal cover lengths,
> then
> he didn't.
> 
> Judging from the very blurred jpeg, it looks to me as though the
> stringmaker has worked very methodically and exactly on the basis of
> wrong
> measurements.  Wherever the fault lies as to the cover data, any
> sapient
> stringmaker would question any data that resulted in staggered pairs
> like
> that.  If he hasn't learned yet that Steinway grands are queer, he
> hasn't
> been paying attention.
> 
> JD