Re: More on tuning

[James A Stimson]

Dear Sean and All:
 I'd recently heard of using beeswax for gut strings, and in fact just
bought some but haven't applied any yet. Have you used it with gut strings?
They tend to stick a bit more than nylon.
 Interesting theory about leaving the groove a little rough. Would this
apply to wound strings as well, though? It seems to me with a wound string
a perfectly smooth, very slightly arched groove is best.
Yours,
Jim




                                                                                       
                                          
                      lutesmith                                                        
                                          
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                      bal.net>                 cc:                                     
                                          
                                               Subject:  Re: More on tuning            
                                          
                      01/23/2004 02:12                                                 
                                          
                      AM                                                               
                                          
                                                                                       
                                          
                                                                                       
                                          




At 10:08 PM 1/22/04, you wrote:
>Hi Daniel and David,
>
> > Hi Daniel,
> >
> > One possible reason the string makes that "quantum jump" is that it may
> > be sticking in the groove of the nut.  A good way to smooth out the
> > groove is with pencil graphite.
>
>This is a way that works but is looking really bad after. I by myself use
>an old wound string to polish the string groove. Apply as much as power
>you can give.


I'd be careful here. Some nuts are softer and polish quicker than others.
You don't want to take down too much material. Not polishing it out
completely will more easily hold a film of lube (I prefer beeswax: it
doesn't leave your strings black) --kind of like a dimpled golfball creates

less resistance than a completely smooth.

Sean