[CAUT] Wire Stretch

[Ron Nossaman]

> I would say exceptionally, a very very small part of the time.  Even if 
> at the factory the utmost pains are taken to equalize the tension 
> throughout the length of the string before its final tuning at the gate, 
> unless all subsequent tuners pay attention to equalizing the tension, 
> which would be an extraordinary occurrence, the tension in the speaking 
> length is always going to exceed the tension between the bridge and the 
> plate, and the excess will grow with time.  

I disagree.


>The shock of "seating the 
> strings" does overcome the friction at the bridge and send a proportion 
> of the excess tension across to the back-length, hence the drop in 
> pitch. I presume the familiar high-pitched "click" or "squeal" is a 
> longitudinal vibration of very short duration as the wire scrapes past 
> the pins.
> 
> JD

Pretty much every living soul out there has access to an ETD 
capable of measuring pitch levels quite accurately, and 
calculating tension levels and changes in speaking length and 
back scale before and after seating strings and noting a pitch 
drop in the speaking length.

A few simple experiments by a bunch of folks out there with 
nothing to prove one way or another could eliminate a lot of 
chatter.