Seating strings: what's the sound tell you?

[Ron Nossaman]

> Again, I'm embarrassed not to remember details from your presentation at 
> Nashville, Ron, but as I recall, you said it was futile to seat the 
> strings at all, since they'll just climb the pins anyway from normal 
> playing?
> 
> --Cy--


No! Strings won't climb bridge pins at all unless there is enough 
negative bearing to counteract the clamping effect of the pin angle 
and offset angle. This is virtually never in real world situations. 
To assume that strings climb bridge pins is contrary to geometry, 
physics, and logic. If a string isn't touching the cap at the pin, 
it's because the cap has already crushed at the edge. The string is 
on the cap quite solidly just a bit back from the notch where the 
cap isn't as badly crushed. Caps are crushed to dysfunction at the 
notch by three primary mechanisms - cyclic dimensional changes of 
the cap with humidity swings, technicians seating strings at any and 
every excuse, and technicians driving in bridge pins with the string 
under tension.

Here's the mantra... Strings don't climb bridge pins, and seating 
neither pins, nor strings cures the cause of false beats. It just 
does further damage to the cap.