Yow-yow-yowing bass strings

BobDavis88@aol.com BobDavis88@aol.com
Mon, 20 Jan 2003 17:20:40 EST


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Friends,

Hep!   Hep!   (Okay, I grew up in Texas)

I need an accurate scientific explanation for why SOME single bass strings g=
o=20
yow-yow-yow, when played by themselves.

A new customer I am about to go see, with a new Steinway B, said he wanted m=
e=20
to maybe replace some bass strings that were "wobbling." I thought, okay,=20
unisons or voicing, but then he said they were singles. I realized I had=20
accepted that sound for decades, and just tuned around it, considering it a=20
shortcoming of shorter scales. Later that day, I listened to 5 B's, 4 L's,=20
and a D, as well as a 7'4" Boesendorfer.

All the Steinways had yowing singles, but not necessarily on the same notes.=
=20
Some notes would be clear. The D was the best of the Steinways, reasonably=20
clear, and the B=F6sendorfer was extremely clean.

The Steinways are single-wrapped and the B=F6s is double-wrapped, but I also=
=20
listened to some 126 cm Bostons, which are double-wrapped, and they had=20
random wows too.

I've always chalked it up to "inharmonicity" or longitudinal waves or=20
something like that, but I realized that doesn't really work, and now it's=20
driving me crazy not to be able accurately to explain this. What is=20
happening, and why is the B=F6sendorfer so clean?

Wobbling in Stockton CA,
Bob Davis



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