<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; color: rgb(127, 127, 127); "><b>From:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; ">"Don Mannino" <<a href="mailto:donmannino@ca.rr.com">donmannino@ca.rr.com</a>><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; color: rgb(127, 127, 127); "><b>Date:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; ">March 12, 2011 12:50:57 PM EST<br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#7F7F7F"><b>...</b></font></div>Another important factor which is, if I recall correctly, mentioned in the<br>old patents is the benefit to the tone and longevity of the string from<br>changing the wire movement at the capo from a bending action to a pivoting<br>action. When the duplex length is short or the angle very steep, the wire<br>is effectively locked down against the capo. When the angle is lower and<br>the length is longer, the wire can rock or pivot slightly on the capo,<br>reducing stress on the wire.<br></span></blockquote></div><div><br></div>Thanks Don, for posting this; it opened my eyes some. <div><br></div><div>I was of course aware of the energy transfer past the capo, but visualizing it as a pivoting action really makes it clearer how this happens, and why it would also affect string breakage.</div><div><br></div><div>I would expect that the first and strongest wire displacement and pivot would be in the vertical direction immediately following hammer-string contact, while later and weaker displacements would migrate to the horizontal plane as the string oscillation changes. I will try to make careful note of any subtle hourglass shaping in the cuts in the bottom of the capo bar the next time I reshape one (as opposed to more of a funnel shape). In other words, the string cut might flare a little on both ends of the cut. Has anyone ever noticed such?<br><div><br></div><div>Thanks,</div><div><br></div><div>Joe DeFazio</div></div><div>Pittsburgh</div></body></html>