Bass String Scale

[Newton Hunt]

>  I have replaced two sets of 85-90 year old bass strings with sets that actually sounded a little worse!

I experienced this some 30 years ago or more and wondered why.  I got
involved in rescaling when I unstrung a Hardman Peck that had a
totally "wrong" set of treble strings.  I measured the speaking
lengths and compared them to an S&S O, calculated tensions and
adjusted the S&S scale to match the tensions for the Hardman.  Turned
out to be a nice tuning and sounding piano.

Then I started on bass strings when I called Mapes for a set of
strings for an S&S M and told them I wanted an original factory set
without shortening the copper.  They said "We don't do that!"  I said
"Like hell, I am looking at a set right now where we sent in a pattern
AND samples and it has copper ending 1 1/4" from the agraffe!" 
Originals were about 5/8".  Mapes sent a set UPS collect and I refused
the shipment.  I sat down at the computer and designed my first set of
strings, ordered them from Schaff and they sounded just fine.  I
continued to refine my program until Parsons came out with his.

I asked a bass string supply house's main string winder why winders
shortened the copper.  His answer was essentially, "I don't know, we
just been doing it that way for years."  Sheesh!!!

With computers, scale data, formulae and vast experience in good and
bad scales why manufacturer still, today, continue to make pianos with
bad scales!  Makes no sense to me.

Designing a decent scale is not hard as long as you have some minor
understanding of tension, power, inharmonicity, computers, math and
general engineering principles.  The main problem is measuring and
data entry, the rest is just patience and asking, "what if?"

With today's understandings there is absolutely no reason to rely upon
the poor judgment and workmanship of some bass string suppliers.  I
prefer, instead, to supply them with, use this core, this copper,
start here and end there.  I don't even tell them the make or model of
the piano.

Yes, they charge more because they have to make a scale stick but I
would rather pay a bit more and get what _I_ want.  I have messed up
and have had to pay for two sets twice.  The last time because I made
a data entry error, off by one note.  Real easy to spot because the
copper was running into the agraffes.  I checked it all out and _I_
had messed up.

See what you did, Mark, you go me up on my soap box again!!

This is one of my main peeves.  Stupidity perseveres!

		Newton