Lots of points you ask, and I'm sure you'll get answers on several points from several folks. As far as this particular item goes... I've always been a fan of Ed McMorrows thinking on front terminations. You want a very thin and flat top "V" shape... not an "U". In the end this has always proven itself to me to be the cleanest and longest lasting termination. This usually applies to the standard capo profile of course, but to the degree it is possible to reproduce in other solutions I'd recommend it. One of course has to assure a steep enough counter bearing angle / front d-length combination as part of the deal. Just my thoughts on the matter. Cheers RicB ...... Secondly, those machined capo pieces appear to have a radius at the string contact point, quite a bit larger than other pianos. I once treated the sizzling strings on this piano by tapping them sideways and back into position. This nearly eliminated all noises but it didn't last long. What are your feelings on grinding a smaller radius on these pieces or does case hardening preclude this? The few times I have departed from a manufacturer's original design, it was only with great trepidation but a solid conviction that it was the only solution to the problem
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