has anyone ever tried this?

[Ron Nossaman]

> I sent this yesterday, but don't know if it went through.  So here it is again.
> 
> On 11/7/07, Ron Nossaman <rnossaman at cox.net> wrote:
> 
>> In other words, it's the bends.
> 
> OK, I'll ask questions because I can't observe a new string right now
> in order to answer this experimentally.
> 
> So if it is all in the bends, theoretically one could fully stabilize
> a string at one session, right?  

Theoretically.


>I haven't ever tried to verify that
> because I've been told for years that it *always* takes time for
> stabilization to occur.  (I.e., because the wire is stretching.  Maybe
> I need to occasionally switch out of lemming mode.  "But my mentor
> said....")

If you get the chance, try this with the replacement of two 
strings. On one, squeeze and massage the string around the 
hitch, sharpen the bends at bridge pins, front and rear 
duplexes, and capo, and tap, squeeze, and massage the coil at 
the tuning pin, pressing the becket in firmly as you do. On 
the other, don't do any of this other than perhaps lifting and 
leveling the strings to mate the hammer. Tune both and leave 
them alone for a couple of weeks and see how much each goes 
out. Tune both and do the settling routine again on both and 
see how much each drops in pitch. It can be pretty impressive.


> It follows that if stabilization is immediately possible, why does it
> take up to a year for strings to stabilize in a new piano?  Is it
> because the cost of labor to stabilize would outweigh the benefit of
> immediate stabilization?
> 
> JF

Some of this is initial compaction of wood in a new piano, but 
I expect that if we took the time to do the settling routine 
throughout with the first tuning, they would stabilize more 
quickly. The manufacturer wouldn't benefit from quick 
stabilization, so they aren't interested in paying for it, nor 
is the dealer for the same reason. The customer would benefit, 
but they will want to know why it's their expense on a new 
piano, and why it wasn't already done at the manufacturing or 
sales level.

So a new piano takes a year or more to "stabilize", and will 
likely need a pitch raise some time in the first year before 
it settles down.
Ron N