Thoughts on Strings..

[markstuk]

Been following some of the topics on here with some interest....

Basically to summarise what I've read - strings "go off" because

1. They get contaminated by sweat/grease.
2. They get damaged by being fretted.
3. The "core" stretches..

I'm sort of up to speed on the first two but the third puzzles me since grand pianos don't need restringing every few months and some of the strings are under much higher tension than bass strings.. Number 3 also seems to be pushed by string manufacturers who of course have no vested interest in us changing our strings frequently..

Or have I got it all wrong here?

Cheers


Mark

[Dood]

That's an interesting question re: point 3. I have to say that if it were true, then would I be tuning 'upward' more and more over the life of the string? - I'm assuming that if the core does stretch it would be in the regions of hundreths of an inch vs anything that could be measured without test gear. Maybe it's a myth perpetuated by those who pull the bass out of tune by yanking the strings away from the neck. Which is more likely down to other problems rather than the string stretching throughout it's life?

[Delberthot]

With most strings you have to stretch them initially when you first put them on but once they're on they just need occasional tuning for different room temperatures, accidentally knocking out of tune etc.

Someone (perhaps DR) had prestretched strings and they were obviously highly successful as I've never heard them mentioned although it could have happened in a dream. In which case patent pending patent pending patent pending.

[noelk27]

[quote name='markstuk' post='1065612' date='Dec 21 2010, 01:07 PM'][T]he third puzzles me since grand pianos don't need restringing every few months and some of the strings are under much higher tension than bass strings.. Number 3 also seems to be pushed by string manufacturers who of course have no vested interest in us changing our strings frequently.[/quote]
It's not so much that the core wire stretches, although the core will stretch, it's that the mechanical adhesion between the core and the inner wraps, and the inner wraps and the outer wrap, will fail. The degradation of the string is the result of it being under tension, of the number of impact positions, and environmental and player contamination. If you think about a piano string, this is struck by a beater, where the strike point is localised, and the intensity is mechanically controlled, and the string is not exposed to the variety of contaminants a guitar/bass string is.

[markstuk]

Sure, which is why I was cool with points 1 and 2.. And not so clear about point 3... Plus the hammer of a piano hits the string pretty damn hard - probably harder than a bass player can.. So my surmise was either there is a significant difference in construction between a piano string and a bass string, or that factors 1 and 2 are dominant...

Mark

[quote name='noelk27' post='1067287' date='Dec 22 2010, 10:22 PM']It's not so much that the core wire stretches, although the core will stretch, it's that the mechanical adhesion between the core and the inner wraps, and the inner wraps and the outer wrap, will fail. The degradation of the string is the result of it being under tension, of the number of impact positions, and environmental and player contamination. If you think about a piano string, this is struck by a beater, where the strike point is localised, and the intensity is mechanically controlled, and the string is not exposed to the variety of contaminants a guitar/bass string is.[/quote]

[holio.cornolio]

[quote name='dood' post='1065639' date='Dec 21 2010, 01:31 PM']That's an interesting question re: point 3. I have to say that if it were true, then would I be tuning 'upward' more and more over the life of the string? - I'm assuming that if the core does stretch it would be in the regions of hundreths of an inch vs anything that could be measured without test gear. Maybe it's a myth perpetuated by those who pull the bass out of tune by yanking the strings away from the neck. Which is more likely down to other problems rather than the string stretching throughout it's life?[/quote]
Pianos do tend to be slightly less portable than basses, so I guess that it's fair to assume that MOST pianos live their lives in an environment with relatively stable temperature / humidity conditions, meaning that they don't need retuning quite so often. Piano tuning mechanisms are also (in the main) protected from inadvertent impacts from cymbals / drumsticks / drunken punters..