Originally written 5/7/07 - unsent You know, there seems something of a pathology at large here. I know the Lowell gauge is less than perfect, and some readings can be misleading due to bridge surface anomalies. But it has been an invaluable analytical tool for me over the years, and it took years to get it back on the market, even without the modifications I was hoping for, including better balance and magnetic feet. If I understand John D's post, it is still more accurate than the Wixey, which, given the price, I will probably try, just for fun. I just wonder at our seeming zeal in sabotaging our few remaining suppliers. Since writing the above, I ordered and received a Wixey, and it is a fun toy, but it doesn't, in my view, come close to taking the place of the Lowell gauge. Without getting into the details of distance or angular measurements, the Lowell will measure a single string, and can graphically represent the curvature of the bridge string segment (by moving the feet as close together as possible) and, in the process, indicate the presence of negative front termination-bearing, for whatever that might be worth. Because of that curvature, I long ago stopped using it to measure front bearing in the originally instructed manner. I haven't seen the new ones yet, so I don't know if they were modified in any way, but magnets would certainly have been an improvement. David Skolnik Hastings on Hudson, NY
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