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Calculations</title></head><body>
<div>At 11:25 am +0200 3/10/06, Ric Brekne wrote:</div>
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<blockquote type="cite" cite>My question is, whether or not
spreadsheets and string calculation programs generally take into
account these end lengths for basic scaling work ? How important
is it to gain the extra accuracy in taking into account these
endlenghts, hex/round... etc factors ?</blockquote>
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<div>So far as calculating tension etc., the matters I dealt with in
the web page, not at all. As I explained in the last paragraph,
the tiny differences involved are not significant in the basic
calculations. But as regards the tonal quality of the string,
inharmonicity etc. these things do matter. We aim to start the
copper about 8 to 10 mm from the bridge pin and leave about 15mm bare
at the top bridge. If I'm working from a rubbing I have taken
myself then I will reduce these figures. The first two pictures
below illustrate "Erard whipping" and "Steinway
whipping", both of which lend greater purity or clarity to the
tone. Unless we are asked for unwhipped strings, which we never
are, we use the Erard or Bechstein style of whipping on all bichords
and trichords. The Steinway syle of whipping takes more time and
we charge extra. Steinway stopped bothering to whip their strings some
time before WW2 but Bechsteins have always been whipped.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>The third picture shows the end of one of our typical
double-covered strings, which, as you see, has a shorter shoulder than
is found on most makers' strings. This also makes a slight
difference to inharmonicity, as does the ratio of the two
covers.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>So the answer in brief is that these things are irrelevant in
your "basic scaling work" but in combination, including
other factors too, make a huge difference to the quality of sound
produced by the strings.</div>
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<div>JD</div>
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