[CAUT] pre-stretching new string?

[Ron Nossaman]

> Hi Ron,
> 
> Thanks for your comments, but I'm afraid that I'm one of those who's doomed
> to an eternity of skepticism regardless of how many times you repeat it.

It's not my call, Bob. Sanderson's scaling formulas, and a 
couple of other sources through the years that had done some 
research on it, tell me that strings at a lower break% are 
more pitch reactive to length changes. You can tell me I don't 
know what I'm talking about and you may be right, but if you 
want to discount the scaling formulas, you'll have to go to Al 
and tell him *he* doesn't know what he's talking about. With 
nothing but skepticism for ammunition, I don't expect you'll 
convince him any time soon. Let me know what you find out.


> Based on the discussion and my own experience, the only thing I would say
> with certainty is that the causes behind the effects are debatable.  But
> isn't this the name of the game when it comes to pianos?  It's relatively
> easy to make all kinds of observations of what is happening, but then coming
> up with the definitive "why" is often very difficult if not impossible.

Well, we could always just stagnate for another 150 years. 
That's worked pretty well so far, and done wonders for the 
industry.

Ron N