Measuring strings for replacement

Cy Shuster 741662027@theshusters.org
Tue, 16 Nov 2004 08:48:31 -0500


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O, List: may I ask yet again to tap in to your collective wisdom?  I =
need to accurately mic a string, and/or round up or down a size, =
depending on which is safer.

I had a treble string break during tuning yesterday (D#7) on a 1975 =
Kimball console, right next to E7, which had also apparently broken =
years ago (and was fixed by easing a tuning pin's width of string around =
the hitch pin).  Unfortunately, this rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul approach =
failed; the string broke again at the becket long before it got up to =
pitch.

[Side note: the owner had taught piano and had had it tuned regularly, =
so I figured the break was due to metal fatigue at the becket.  I was =
surprised when it broke again at the new becket I had just made.  Shall =
I expect more breaks?  Does the steel become brittle over time, like =
brass?  There was a 25W DC bar plugged in, so little string corrosion =
(and good pin torque).]

I just bought a multi-anvil, friction, vernier micrometer.  I've =
measured this string (out of the piano, in different places) at .037 =
twice and .035 once.  There aren't too many straight places; the whole =
piece is only about a foot long.

Should I use the biggest size I've measured, assuming there may be =
stretching (especially because of the break), or do I need micrometer =
lessons?  (Hmm, I should measure the strings on both sides, in the =
piano...)

Thanks...

--Cy Shuster--
Bluefield, WV

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