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inexpensive strings for experimental instruments

🔗Ed & Alita Morrison <essaim@texas.net>

1/22/2000 1:15:49 AM

Does anyone have experience with using inexpensive materials for strings on experimental musical instruments? I don't know what kind of wire Ivor Dareg used for his stringed instruments. I read about using nylon monofilament fishing line (10 lbs test) on the short string of a 5-string banjo. Another article suggested using #5 piano wire for strings about 20 inches long. Is this wire available in small amounts, where, and what does it cost? What thicknesses is #5 wire?
I am planning to experiment with various materials to make a 6 string musical instrument. I plan to use guitar string tuners to hold the strings on one end and some sort of knot or twist over pegs (perhaps wood screws) to hold the other end. The open string length will be about 16 to 20 inches long to give pitches just above and below middle C. Later I can use regular instrument strings. Alita Morrison

🔗Jay Williams <jaywill@utah-inter.net>

Invalid Date Invalid Date

Jay here,
To find the diameter of piano wire, multiply its number by 2 and add 5. This
gives the diameter in thousanths of an inch, therefore, #5 piano wire is
.015 inches.
Nylon fishing line works surprisingly well. If you need higher tension, try
30-pound line twisted into a double strand. Take care to make the twist
absolutely even by clamping one pair of ends in a vice that is well secured
and securing the other pair of ends in an electric drill. Crank at slow speed!
#5 piano wire is I think, harpsichord-treble material. Most piano supply
houses like Schaff or Pacific Piano Supply'll have 'em. You can get such in
one pound sizes at least, and maybe in something like 1/3 pound rolls.
Haven't bought any recently, but such stuff's pretty cheap, especially if
you're used to buying separate strings for other instruments.
At 03:15 AM 1/22/00 -0600, you wrote:
>From: "Ed & Alita Morrison" <essaim@texas.net>
>
> Does anyone have experience with using inexpensive materials for
strings on experimental musical instruments? I don't know what kind of wire
Ivor Dareg used for his stringed instruments. I read about using nylon
monofilament fishing line (10 lbs test) on the short string of a 5-string
banjo. Another article suggested using #5 piano wire for strings about 20
inches long. Is this wire available in small amounts, where, and what does
it cost? What thicknesses is #5 wire?
> I am planning to experiment with various materials to make a 6 string
musical instrument. I plan to use guitar string tuners to hold the strings
on one end and some sort of knot or twist over pegs (perhaps wood screws) to
hold the other end. The open string length will be about 16 to 20 inches
long to give pitches just above and below middle C. Later I can use regular
instrument strings. Alita Morrison
>
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><tt>From:</tt> <tt>
>"Ed & Alita Morrison" <essaim@texas.net></tt>
><br><br>
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><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    Does anyone have experience
with
>using inexpensive materials for strings on experimental musical
>instruments? I don't know what kind of wire Ivor Dareg used for his
>stringed instruments.  I read about using nylon monofilament fishing line
>(10 lbs test) on the short string of a 5-string banjo.  Another article
>suggested using #5 piano wire for strings about 20
inches long. 
>Is this wire available in small amounts, where, and what does it
>cost?  What thicknesses is #5 wire?</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    I am planning to
experiment
>with various materials to make a 6 string musical instrument.  I plan to
>use guitar string tuners to hold the strings on one end and some sort of
knot or
>twist over pegs (perhaps wood screws) to hold the other end.  The open
>string length will be about 16 to 20 inches long to give pitches just
above
>and below middle C.  Later I can use regular
>instrument strings.      Alita
>Morrison</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
>
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