Franceso is absolutely correct. Going from a .40 to a .38 will not improve string life. The smaller diameter does not have enough fibers to support a treble. As I have said in the past, we in modern times are pushing the upper limits of gut. Franciesco is correct also, in that the upper limit of G at 440 is around 59 cm. If one exceeds that length, he/she needs to lower the pitch. For d minor baroque lutes, at a = 415, anything over 68 cm will also result in premature string breakage. The only way, in a baroque lute, to use a gut treble, at ANY size of diameter, is to lower the pitch. For example, for my 70.5 cm mensur baroque lute, I cannot go to F at 415.... I must lower the pitch. There are testimonials of good luck with longer mensurs, but in keeping within the upper limits is the only way gut trebles will be somewhat long-lasting.
ed At 06:39 PM 10/31/2005 +0100, Francesco Tribioli wrote: > > So, what's the moral? Sh$t happens, strings do break. Could I > > have avoided this? Of course, I was stubborn and used 0.40mm > > first strings. 0.38mm would have been better because of the > > lower tension. Secondly, I was a miser to use up my supply of >Not at all. As many times it was pointed out, the thickness of a string >doesn't affect the breaking point. That is different gut strings will break >at the same tuning pitch, given a constant vibrating length, more or less >independently of their gauge. It is a thing that can be demonstrated >mathematically and proved empirically. On the contrary I would say that >perhaps a tiny string is even more delicate and more easy to break. If the >tuning pitch was a=440Hz I guess the problem is that 62cm is quite a long >vibrating length for a lute tuned in g. A safe length for gut strung lutes >tuned in g at 440Hz pitch is around 59-60cm. With this measure a gut >chanterelle can last 2-3 weeks in normal conditions. > >Francesco > > > >To get on or off this list see list information at >http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html Edward Martin 2817 East 2nd Street Duluth, Minnesota 55812 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] voice: (218) 728-1202
