[CAUT] flatwound bass strings

[Mark Schecter]

OK, I'm speculating here, but see if this makes sense.

Stiffer because the flat ribbon resists flexing more than a round-section cladding would. At least in ebass strings the width of the ribbon is way wider than the diameter of round winding, thus having an effect on the flexibility of the core that (I surmise) is similar to laminating wood. How varying core diameter and wrap thickness and width might affect things, I don't know. Also, the wrapping is steel of some kind, not copper, so that probably affects tone too, but at last I'm beyond my pay grade. (Way beyond).

But they are more comfortable to play. 

~Mark Schecter

On May 12, 2012, at 6:37 AM, Euphonious Thumpe <lclgcnp at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Why stiffer? Seems to me that with the absence of the upper and lower arc in the cross section, LESS stiffness (more wag) would be the result.
>  
> Euphonious Thumpe
> From: Ron Nossaman <rnossaman at cox.net>
> To: caut at ptg.org 
> Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2012 8:52 AM
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] flatwound bass strings
> 
> 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
> 
> 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/20120512/da6fe55a/attachment.htm>