<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=UTF-8 http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charse= t=utf-8"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2730.1700" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff= f"> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 1/13/2004 5:25:48 PM Pacific Standard Time, mfarrel2= @tampabay.rr.com writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue = 2px solid"> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Got to thinkin'........</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My understanding of bridge cap material gra= in angle is that is should follow the curvature of the bridge as close as is= possible because maple is strongest regarding compression forces to applica= tion of that force parallel to the grain.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So in the upper treble where the strings ar= e roughly perpendicular to the bridge, this would work just fine. But in the= tenor section where the strings might be 45 degrees to the bridge, does thi= s rule hold true? Would there not be some advantage to having the cap grain = perpendicular to the strings?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Any thoughts?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DI= V> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040>   <FONT = size=4>  Well I would think so. Having the grain in this orientation = would cause the force of the string against the pin to lean in to the grain = instead of against it if that makes sense. However Knabes typically did= this and there caps are usually split more predictably  than others. W= hat do I know.</FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=4>   Da= le</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>