<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 5.50.4522.1800" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>That's why I told Wim (I think) that I would try and keep some kind = of track on this. I too am pretty sure that a couple of deadish ones were = ones that were "right out of the box" - nice and bright, shiny, etc. If this is = true, then perhaps the time spent in the trunk is not so traumatic - because = basically, if you can't keep the universal string for a few years (so that you always = have a replacement for those emergencies, etc.) they would serve no point at = all. That is their one advantage - you can have a "?functioning?" bass string on = the piano the day you are called and there is only one service call = involved.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Those who do not use universals: Can I trust each installation of a = custom made string (when replacement is needed ASAP) sees two service call billings?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Terry Farrell</DIV> <DIV> <SPAN id=__#Ath#SignaturePos__></SPAN> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE 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=Maxpiano@AOL.COM = href="mailto:Maxpiano@AOL.COM">Maxpiano@AOL.COM</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, December 23, 2001 = 6:16 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Universal Bass = String Deadness</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=2>In a = message dated 12/23/01 2:35:33 PM Eastern Standard Time, <A href="mailto:Wimblees@AOL.COM">Wimblees@AOL.COM</A> = writes:<BR><BR><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px" TYPE="CITE">Now why in the world would a 6 - 8 month-old bass string = in a box be useless, and a 20 year old bass string on a piano be expected = to sound reasonably good? </FONT><FONT lang=0 = style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" face=arial color=#000000 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" face=Arial color=#000000 = size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><BR><BR>In my experience, universals that I have = had for years work OK.  It is the smaller diameter universal strings = (even "right out of the box"), such as #8 on up, that tend to be dead when I have = installed them.  My guess has been that the problem lies in that universal = strings have a relatively larger core and relatively smaller winding wire than = standard strings, and that this thin winding then cannot grip the core = properly in the smaller diameter universals - hence they loosen in the = process of trimming and are dead when you tune them up.<BR><BR>Bill Maxim, RPT<BR>Maxim Piano Service<BR>212 Newpark Place<BR>Columbia, SC 29212-8666<BR>(803) 732-9225, FAX (803) = 732-2641<BR>wmaxim@aol.com</FONT> </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>