<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"> <DIV>Greetings, </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>     I dont mean to be negatory, but, let me give you an idea of just how unlikely it is that this could be done.  In order to figure (or should I say conjure up)  such a formula, you would have to have (<EM>at the very <STRONG>least </STRONG>of many factors</EM>) is the modulus of elasticity for the steel core of the wire.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>     Merely this is so varied because steel wire can and does have different amounts of carbon, iron content, sometimes nickel or other alloys of which it is composed. Even if the wire has an ASTM (or whatever the designator letters are) the standard is, in reality, a <EM>range /percentage</EM> of specific compounds allowed in that steel, in order for that steel to be named that specific ASTM number. So, within the same standard there would be variation, perhaps a <EM>minute</EM> amount, but never the less variable. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>     This formula, then, also would depend on other variables/factors/numbers you would need. They are: temperature, how often the string is played and how hard the blow, (string displacement). How can one predict such things?  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I do agree, though, that it would be postitively, scentifically cool, to be able to at least ball park this sort of thing, and master engineer string replacement!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Julia Gottshall</DIV> <DIV>Reading, PA</DIV></BODY></HTML>