[CAUT] pre-stretching new string?

[Ron Nossaman]

> Where the bridge pin ends up relative to the front 
> termination is an open question, not one easily measured. 

Hi Fred,
No, not easily measured.

>One of the 
> Fandrich's (I forget which, but think Darrell) wrote about pitch change 
> due to elongation of the bridge toward the tenor end about ten years 
> ago, citing speaking length change as a major factor. 

That was Darrell, and his premise was based on strings not 
rendering through the bridge. An interesting thought though.


> Soundboard movement in response to humidity change isn't just up/down. 
> The position of the bridge relative to the front termination may change 
> due to whatever is happening to the board. A bit sideways, a bit back or 
> forth, a bit of change in cant. It certainly isn't as simple as up and 
> down, increasing/decreasing bearing (and, hence, distance from a to b, 
> and, hence, tension).

Nothing is simple or isolated, and this isn't a discussion on 
every potential detail of why and how pianos go out of tune, 
is it? My initial intention was to illustrate that string 
stretch wasn't the likely primary reason for long term pitch 
drop. I don't have authoritative details on everything that 
happens in soundboards with moisture changes, and most likely 
never will. I've picked up what I think are a few clues, and 
reported why I think so. That's the best I can do.


> You really think the moisture transfer from the bottom of the soundboard 
> into (and from) the bridges of a grand is enough to stabilize the 
> bridges to a significant degree? 

When it rains outside, the humidity level in my house 
increases even though the doors and windows are closed. 
Dampp-Chasers are least effective when the lid is always wide 
open, with no bottom cover, and most effective with a top and 
bottom cover.

Ron N