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DECEMBER 17, 1927
27
The Music Trade Review
The Technical and Supply Department — (Continued from page 25
it has been badly treated during grades of wire are good in their several classes,
Year for
otherwise than through back- and the object of the investigation is to obtain
accurate data on a matter which has bothered
Polk College of Tuning
every piano manufacturer since steel piano wire
drawn, or that
the stringing,
ward bending.
An unevenly drawn wire is almost a practical
impossibility, although it is not inconceivable, was first drawn. And, of course, the names
especially in types of wire drawn to finished of makers would not be published, for nothing
size from the rod through only a few drafts. can be gained by doing so.
The subject of so-called "dead" bass strings
The proof, of course, is at hand, for it is only
necessary to micro-gauge the suspected wire at comes up also for discussion, but the data in
short intervals to detect any such defect. In this case are more easily obtained. Every
case of the instrument disclosing perceptible tuner knows that usually he can put "life" into
variations in diameter at intervals correspond- a "dead" string, at least temporarily, by letting
ing to aliquot parts of the vibrating length of it down, unhitching it from the hitch pin, in-
the suspected wire, the blame is automatically serting a narrow screw driver in the eye, twist-
ing it around several times, and then rehitching
thereby assigned.
the twisted wire. Plainly, of course, this shows
Kinks and Kinking
On the other hand, however, there is a more that the covering was loose and that the twist
obscure cause, yet a cause which actually oper- put into the wire has the effect, for the time
ates more frequently, and is more prolific in being, of tightening it.
Bass strings are commonly wound in a very
capacity to cause trouble. During the process
of stringing it is possible to cause the wire simple manner. The proper length of core
to take from time to time a kink or very slight wire is set off between two revolving shafts
bend. This may occur in several ways. For and its extremities are fastened over in two
one thing, the stringer may kink the wire as hooks, one at each shaft. The shafts and the
he handles it coming from the reel. From the wire are then revolved at high speed. Before
results of several recent examinations, gaugings 'the machine is set in motion, a short length
and experiments, I have come to think that at each end of the core wire, where the cover-
this happens more often than has been general- ing begins and ends, is flattened out so as to
ly supposed. Remembering that we are referring afford a starting and ending place respectively
only to wire of small diameter, Nos. 13 to 16, for the spun wire. One end of the latter is
used in the regions within which almost all the then twisted on the revolving core, and held
reported cases of wild strings occur, it is easy between the operator's heavily gloved fingers
to understand the fatal tonal effect of a kink as it travels, until it has reached the end of
obtained by careless handling, or by pure acci- its journey, when it is snapped off. The flat-
dent. Such a defect is easily detected, merely tened swages on the core wire afford the cov-
by running the wire between thumb and finger, ering wire a grip which ordinarily is sufficient
when the presence of a kink may at once be to hold it tight.
Some winders of bass strings use automatic
observed. Now it often happens that one can
stretch a kinked piece of wire almost to its tensioning apparatus for the purpose of obtain
breaking point before the kink will straighten ing a more certain and accurate grip around
itself out entirely. Yet that wire will probably the core wire.
It is evident from the above description that
be hopeless from the acoustic standpoint, quite
incapable of giving out a pure (i.e., bcatless) everything depends upon the skill and care ex-
ercised by the operator. Loose coverings are
sound.
I should advise my tuner readers to follow a possibility and dead bass strings may nearly
up this clue. If each string found to give out always be attributed to just this cause. Con-
beats by itself be taken off and carefully drawn sidering everything, it is not astonishing to find
between thumb and finger the presence or ab- that in course of time all bass strings seem to
sence of kinks may at once be determined. The go dead, but that is only another way of say-
experiment might then be made of replacing ing that every winding must sooner or later
the kinked wire with another piece of the same loosen up. Nevertheless the process of loosen-
diameter which, however, should also be care- ing consumes a great deal of time, and where
fully gauged in the manner described before sufficient care was originally utilized one may
be fairly sure that very few strings will lose
il is put on. The effect may then be noted.
their life within the useful lifetime of the piano.
Experimental Verification
Here again some interesting experiments may
A very interesting experiment, or scries of
be
made. One might take bass strings which
experiments, in which I should like to partici-
pate, might be worked up in this way, with re- have gone dead and cut them apart. If the
sults really worth while to all concerned. The covering is loose the looseness will then at once
great difficulty hitherto has been lack of im- be noticeable.
Once more let me say that in all these mat-
partial experiment. I should like to invite every
ters
what we need and what we lack is accu-
tuner who cares to take a little trouble to
take off some of these wild strings from pianos rate information. When one considers the ex-
he may encounter in his work, put on new wire tent of the piano industry and the enormous
and then send the old wire to me with any number of pianos in use, one can only be
appropriate comment. I could then gauge it astounded at the dearth of accurate experi-
accurately, put it on the analytical monochord, mental data. There is, however, some reason
reproduce the original conditions in which it to hope that things will not always be so.
was sounding, and generally find out all about
it. It would be necessary, of course, to state
the exact vibrating length of the string, the
note for which it was strung, and the make is solicited and should be addressed to William
and style of the piano. Interesting cases could Braid White, 5149 Agatite avenue, Chicago.
be thoroughly investigated, and the results
might be published in these columns.
In order to allay any apprehension, it
might be said that there is no way of finding
out by any known method of analysis the make
of any piece of wire submitted for examination,
WASHINGTON, D. C, December 5.—The appoint-
nor does that in the least matter, since all ments of A. W. Armstrong, of Chicago, and R
E. Irwin, of Potlatch, Ida., to the National Com-
mittee on Wood Utilization, were announced by
the chairman of the committee, Herbert Hoover,
Our new illustrated catalogue «f Pian* and
Plartr Hardware Fcltt and Tool* ii new
Secretary of Commerce.
ready. If you haven't received your eayy
please let ut knew.
The former's duties will be concerned with
OTTO R. TREFZ, JR.
wood preservation and the lattcr's with im-
proved manufacturing methods.
1305-7-9 No. 27th St.
PkiU., Pa.
Correspondence
Appointed on Committee
of Wood Utilization
Tuners and Repairers
Substantial Number of Men Taking Courses
in Piano Tuning and Repairs—Enrolling for
the Winter Classes at the College
LAPORTIL, IND., December 12.—Despite unsettled
conditions in the trade during the past few
months the Polk School of Piano Tuning in
this city reports a very successful year, with
men coming from many sections of the coun-
try to take courses in tuning, repairing and
regulating pianos, players and coin-operated in-
struments. The importance that has been at-
tached to the servicing of these instruments
throughout the trade has no doubt resulted in
many men taking advantage of the opportunity
o[ entering that division of the business. It
was found, too, that a number of men taking
courses in piano tuning, repair and regulating
entered the retail field on their own account
;uid find the knowledge of the mechanism of
the instruments of considerable value.
The enrollment books for the winter term of
the Polk College are now open, the dates for
registering being January 3, 4 and 5, with the
school opening on January 6. There are al-
ready indications that there will be a full class
for the next term.
Discuss Combination
of Lumber Companies
CINCINNATI, O., December 3.—Plans for the for-
mation of a holding company of the Hardwood
Mills of the southern Appalachian territory,
which, if carried out, would mean a combina-
tion of about twenty leading lumber companies,
were discussed informally at a meeting of the
Appalachian Hardwood Club here recently.
The mill proprietors and managers were ad-
vised to take this action by J. II. Townshend,
of Memphis, general manager of the Hardwood
Manufacturers' Institute, who outlined how the
mills would be appraised by an appraisal com-
pany and each mill be given a certain amount
of stock and become a branch of the holding
corporation.
In this manner, said Mr. Townshend, the
hardwood producers of the Appalachian Hard-
wood Club would be enabled to operate their
plants more economically and could allocate the
shipment of orders so as to effect a substantial
saving in freight rates and at the same time pre-
vent lost motion.
Fear Soviet Lumber
Fears of an impending flood of lumber from
the Soviet deep-sea lumber ports are expressed
by the National Lumber Manufacturers Asso-
ciation. At a low rate a cargo of 2,500,000 feet
of spruce and pine is now in the Newark, N. J.,
market. The association says this transaction
is claimed to be the commencement of annual
imports of 100,000,000 feet of lumber, and that
further business will be facilitated by cheap
labor, low ocean rates and good loading facili-
ties.
Wood Use Slogan
WASHINGTON, D. C, December 12.—Widespread
interest is centering around the contest being
conducted by the Trade Extension Committee
of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Asso-
ciation to get a suitable slogan for the use of
wood. The contest, which is open to the public,
ends on December 15, and entails the awarding
of prizes totaling $15,000 to the winners.
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.