[CAUT] Bass bridge, string scale, cantilevered bridge, tone

[Ron Overs]

>At 13:40 +1000 4/5/08, Ron Overs wrote:
>
>>The double eye is certainly more trouble to make, but we have found 
>>that the additional friction-contact with the hitch pin, when at 
>>pitch, makes the double looped version less likely to tighten up on 
>>the pin. . . .
>
>Yes, I had forgotten about that.  I made a few last time the topic 
>came up and today when I made some more I realised why I had 
>probably dropped the idea the first time -- simply that the hook on 
>my bass string machine is too fat for this sort of eye; at least I 
>guess so.

Indeed, we had the same trouble. Our local string maker, Lou Parke - 
who does most of the work for Australia and New Zealand and winds my 
bass sets, didn't have a hook that was suitably sized for the 4 mm 
hitch pins that we use. So he supplied me with one of his older 
hook-holders and I made a hook to suit the diameter of the hitch pins 
we use.

>I presume you make the eye so that it is a fairly close fit round 
>the hitchpin.  I really must get round to making up a thinner hook, 
>which would be useful for other jobs too.  I find your eye is pretty 
>quick to make and if it works as you say, which I don't doubt, it 
>would be a useful alternative to offer to my string customers.  But, 
>as I have said, I imagine the diameter has to be made according to 
>the hitchpins of the particular piano.  Is that right?

Yes, the eye must be a very good fit or it will allow the eye to slip 
and tighten on the pin. We make them so that the eye pushes on easily 
by hand, but only just. Lou straightens the core wire and supplies it 
to me before the strings are wound. I clean the polishing crud off 
the wire and make the eyes, then take them back to Lou for the copper 
to be wound. I believe it is very important to clean the grease and 
dirt off the core before the copper is wound, or over a short time 
the core will collect fine dust from the air and become tubby. If the 
core wire is dirty enough this can happen as early as a couple of 
years after the strings are wound.

Using clean copper is just as important as cleaning the core wire. 
Years ago here in the mid nineties, Lou was getting his copper drawn 
by BHP in Port Kembla. The copper wire was good quality stuff but I 
was suspicious that there was considerable residual drawing-lubricant 
on the wire. Lou's strings at the time would get tubby within a 
couple of years. However, he started getting his copper supplies from 
Renner and the problem went away, but I still clean the core wire for 
those sets which he winds for our own pianos.

Ron O.
-- 
OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY
    Grand Piano Manufacturers
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Web http://overspianos.com.au
mailto:ron at overspianos.com.au
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