Hi Mark In my view Hex core is fundamentally flawed. It has been used for years by a few companies on a very short list. Grotrian Steinweg at the top of that list... But there are a couple issues. It delivers a very different degree of inharmonicity and when pianos designed with round core wire have a set of hex core bass strings put on as replacement the result is always (IMHO) less then satisfactory. There is another thing I've been wanting to get a discussion about that concerns all bass strings... but seems to hit hex core much more severely and earlier in life. Bass strings seem to develop a lot of para-inharmonicity over time. I have not measured this directly have noticed that new pianos have quite a bit less in general then older pianos, replacement of a carefully calculated and spun set of strings alleviates nearly all the problem and hex core seems to suffer from this very much more then round core. One of hex cores touted big benefits is that its supposed to be easier to wind over and less tendant towards string buzzes developing. I suspect that is in the end the major reason why a few factories use them. There is no inherent advantage soundwise.... quite the opposite if anything... at least in my book. Cheers RicB Greetings to the List, I have been wondering why some manufacturers use hexagonal steel wire as their core wire in making their bass strings and others use round steel wire? What are the reasons for using either type of steel wire as the core for making bass strings? Thank you, Mark
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