[pianotech] Yamaha Upright String Breaker

John Delacour JD at Pianomaker.co.uk
Sat Jan 8 13:27:14 MST 2011


At 11:04 -0800 08/01/2011, you wrote:

>I've got a Yamaha studio upright that continues to break strings at D3
>(wrapped bichord).  The speaking length is 890mm, the core wire 14 gauge and
>the outside wrapped dimension is .058".  My spread sheet shows that at 69%
>BP but my own formula might be low.  Any string makers care to input here?
>It seems to me it's got to be too high.

By my reckoning that gives over 180 lbs. - 84% of the yield point of 
#14 when 70% is the maximum allowable for safety, so it is designed 
to break and break again.

Suppose it is covered at present with 0.35mm. copper at present, then 
if you want to stick with a #14 core you need to go down three sizes 
of copper to 0.275mm., which wil give you 151 lbs. and 69% of max 
strain, which is just within the limit. If you use a #15 core with 
the same cover, you will get 162lbs. and 68%.  You will need to 
change both strings of the pair and probably the strings for the two 
notes below as well if you don't want the same to happen to them.

Don't confuse _your_ 69% with _mine_ .  Whatever spreadsheet you and 
others are using is misleading.  You should not have bass strings at 
a tension greater than 70% of the figure in the table below.  From 
what I've heard from others who use, probably, the spreadsheet you 
refer to, you should not exceed 50% of the BS figures it uses.

And yes, I'm a string maker.

JD

12	0.725	174
12.5	0.750	185
13	0.775	196
13.5	0.800	207
14	0.825	218
14.5	0.850	229
15	0.875	240
15.5	0.900	251
16	0.925	264
16.5	0.950	276
17	0.975	288
17.5	1.000	300
18	1.025	314
18.5	1.050	326
19	1.075	339
19.5	1.100	339
20	1.125	371
20.5	1.150	387
21	1.175	405
21.5	1.200	421
22	1.225	439
22.5	1.250	455
23	1.300	479
23.5	1.350	504
24	1.400	532
24.5	1.450	570
25	1.500	609
25.5	1.550	660
26	1.600	726
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