[CAUT] flatwound bass strings

[Ron Nossaman]

On 5/11/2012 11:26 PM, Mark Schecter wrote:
> Don't know the purpose in a piano. But, on an electric bass, the flat
> wound strings are evidently stiffer, and as a result, produce fewer
> higher harmonics and less of them. They sound less bright and clear.
>
> How do the sound in a piano?
>
> ~Mark Schecter

Stiffer, I could see, but that would mean more higher harmonics and less 
fundamental, wouldn't it? Getting rid of that 0.063", or 0.065" 
(whatever) tent peg core wire in favor of starting with 0.051" with a 
good rescaling makes a worthwhile and significant improvement in the 
strength of the low partials and lessening of noise in the upper. At 
least in a piano.


> On May 11, 2012, at 9:00 PM, Bob Hull <hullfam5 at yahoo.com
> <mailto:hullfam5 at yahoo.com>> wrote:
>
>> What is the purpose of the ribbon wire or flat wound bass strings? Is
>> it to help the winding grip the core wire better? What is the tonal
>> difference?

I thought it was to minimize the "skreek, skreek" of finger tip 
callouses sliding on the windings, or maybe for smooth bottlenecking. I 
don't know of any rationale for piano use, except maybe for "prepared" 
piano, which isn't piano use.
Ron N