> Between 1867 and 1893 Poehlmann set the pace for piano wire, so > that in 1876 their No. 17 wire broke at 342 lbs. compared with Washburn > and Moen's 242 lbs. I guess Chickering would have used Poehlmann wire > at this time, as most great European makers did. Today's wire is not as > good in any way as Poehlmann's and has not the same tensile strength, > with the result that the strings on a piano strung with modern wire will > be close to their breaking strain, and that is all to the good in some > cases. They must have had different pounds back then. I show today's #17 Roslau at 395lb, and #17 Mapes International Gold at 433lb for coiled treble wire. Ron N
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