SV: iron wound strings

[Frank Emerson]

As others have suggested, aluminum is sometimes used as a substitute for
the smallest of copper windings.  There is a limit to how small one can go
in diameter for copper windings.  At some point, it becomes very difficult
to handle such small wire, and the rejection rate, for flawed windings,
become so high that it is impractical to use.  Substituting aluminum and
adding the same mass as with the smaller copper wire, the larger diameter
of the aluminum wire is much more manageable.  It does result in a
different sound, not to my liking, but obviously acceptable to others who
have used this material.  Another consideration is that aluminum wound
strings, for the few smallest in overall diameter of a set, presents the
opportunity to blend the wound and plain strings better (in theory) by
adding less mass with smaller gages of aluminum than would be possible with
copper.  Baldwin had an interesting compromise.  For the smallest copper
windings they used "copper-clad" wire, plated over a lighter base material,
but I am not sure if it was aluminum or something else.

Years ago, Mapes hosted me at there facility to conduct experiments with
the use of different winding materials, as well as other scaling variables.
We had four identical pianos, delivered to Napes, and made side-by-side
comparisons of different bass string designs.  Mapes also made guitar
string, with windings of bronze and other alloys, which were used in these
experiments.  In the end, we just stuck with the traditional copper.  The
was no significant advantage to any of the alternatives that we had tried.

Frank Emerson


> [Original Message]
> From: Don <pianotuna at accesscomm.ca>
> To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Date: 4/21/2007 11:47:10 AM
> Subject: Re: SV: iron wound strings
>
> Hi Avery,
>
> My point is that other metals are in use to wind strings. It's just a bit
> of a curiosity.
>
> At 12:12 PM 4/21/2007 -0500, you wrote:
> >  And your point is? :-D
> >
> > Avery 
> >
> > At 02:01 AM 4/21/2007, you wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I tune a small (recent production) Everett that has two , aluminium
wound
> > strings on the treble bridge, and copper in the bass.
> >
>
> Regards,
> Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T.
> Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat
>
> mailto:pianotuna at yahoo.com	http://us.geocities.com/drpt1948/
>
> 3004 Grant Rd. REGINA, SK, S4S 5G7
> 306-539-0716 or 1-888-29t-uner
>