<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:v = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1 = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2963" name=GENERATOR><o:SmartTagType name="State" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="PersonName" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType> <STYLE>  </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US vLink=purple link=blue bgColor=white> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Hi Michelle - I've got a little bit of variations to Johns ideas - just thought I'd share.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>First and foremost, cut the string to length (couple inches longer than hitch-pin to tuning-pin) before unwinding any copper!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><FONT><EM>"Sometimes holding it with a pliers helps to keep the string stationary while you unwind the excess (Use the pliers above the place where it will break off.)"</EM></FONT><BR></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>I do the same, only I find that a pair of vice grips gently clamped exactly just above the place where the coil will break off works great. The copper wire is thick enough that it unwinds quickly. Using vice grips lets you concentrate on unwinding the copper.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2> </DIV></FONT></FONT> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><EM>"On the ones with the smaller copper winding, I hold the replacement string loosely in the left hand, unwind 3-4 inches of the winding, then it's pretty quick unwinding by pulling with the right hand. (The string in the left hand rotates as the winding comes off - that's why you hold it loosely.)"</EM></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>John's method may work fine - I've never tried it, but I will next time. What I do is apply vice grips like I described above (not so tight as to deform the copper windings), unwind the few inches like John said. But then I pull the copper winding straight off the string - straight out parallel and on the same line as the core. If you play around with this a few times, suddenly you will find that you can induce this totally funky revolving motion of the core (it looks like an airplane propeller in motion in the shape of a cone) that increases as you pull harder but it lets the copper unwind extremely easy. I know I'm not describing the motion well - it's something that you have to experience before you know what I am talking about. But it makes using universals fun - it's a game I play when I use them. I know I'm making no sense - but try it - just pull straight out when you have thin copper windings - the core will automatically go into this funky motion - it's a hoot!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>FWIW</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=3>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV></FONT></FONT> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=michelle@cdaustin.com href="mailto:michelle@cdaustin.com">Michelle Smith</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">'Pianotech List'</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, October 31, 2006 9:43 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: Universal Bass String question</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV class=Section1> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Thanks for the info John.  I guess I’m going to have to grow some more muscles and get after it.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Happy Halloween!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Michelle Smith<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: windowtext"> <HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2> </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Tahoma color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> <A href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</A> [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>John M. Formsma<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Tuesday, October 31, 2006 6:41 PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</st1:PersonName><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: Universal Bass String question</SPAN></FONT><FONT color=black><SPAN style="COLOR: windowtext"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">#5 is a big one, isn't it? I don't know of a way to do it fast except to unwind it quicker. :) Sometimes holding it with a pliers helps to keep the string stationary while you unwind the excess (Use the pliers above the place where it will break off.)<BR><BR>On the ones with the smaller copper winding, I hold the replacement string loosely in the left hand, unwind 3-4 inches of the winding, then it's pretty quick unwinding by pulling with the right hand. (The string in the left hand rotates as the winding comes off - that's why you hold it loosely.)<BR><BR>JF<BR><BR>Michelle Smith wrote: <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><U1:SMARTTAGTYPE name="State" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><U1:SMARTTAGTYPE name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><U1:SMARTTAGTYPE name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><U1:SMARTTAGTYPE name="PersonName" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></U1:SMARTTAGTYPE></U1:SMARTTAGTYPE></U1:SMARTTAGTYPE></U1:SMARTTAGTYPE>Hi all.  Yet another newbie question.<U1:P></U1:P></SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><U1:P> </U1:P></SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Does anyone have an easy/quick way to remove copper winding from universal bass strings?  I’m practicing on an old spinet here at the house and while I did cut some of the string off (winding and core), I still had to work for quite a while to get down to where I needed to be with the winding. (I was working with a #5 string.) Thanks in advance.<U1:P></U1:P></SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><U1:P> </U1:P></SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P> <P class=MsoAutoSig><FONT face="Tempus Sans ITC" color=blue size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tempus Sans ITC'">Michelle Smith<U1:P></U1:P></SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P> <P class=MsoAutoSig><FONT face="Tempus Sans ITC" color=blue size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tempus Sans ITC'">Smith Piano Service<U1:P></U1:P></SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P> <P class=MsoAutoSig><st1:place u2:st="on"><st1:City u2:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><FONT face="Tempus Sans ITC" color=blue size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tempus Sans ITC'">Bastrop</SPAN></FONT></st1:City><FONT face="Tempus Sans ITC" color=blue><SPAN style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tempus Sans ITC'"></st1:City>, <st1:State u2:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Texas</st1:State></st1:State></SPAN></FONT></st1:place></st1:place><o:p></o:p></P><U1:P></U1:P> <P class=MsoAutoSig><FONT face="Tempus Sans ITC" color=blue size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tempus Sans ITC'">(512) 466-0238<U1:P></U1:P></SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P> <P class=MsoAutoSig><st1:PersonName u2:st="on"><FONT face="Tempus Sans ITC" color=blue size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tempus Sans ITC'"><A href="mailto:michelle@cdaustin.com">michelle@cdaustin.com</A></SPAN></FONT></st1:PersonName><o:p></o:p></P><U1:P></U1:P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><U1:P> </U1:P><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><U1:P> </U1:P><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><U1:P> </U1:P><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>