I'm not familiar with the "shell not" outside of neck ties. Is this the knot you'd intended, Alexander? If not, can you refer me to a diagram?
The nail knot to which I'd referred really has a low profile for line to line, and a bit of burned-end gut would be perfectly suited to it. Have you ever used the nail knot in fixing leader to instrument string? If so, how did that one work? Eugene ----- Original Message ----- From: alexander <voka...@verizon.net> Date: Monday, January 2, 2012 8:31 am Subject: [LUTE] Re: ubricating Non-stretchy pegbox leaders. To: Ron Andrico <praelu...@hotmail.com> Cc: wa...@physics.utexas.edu, lute@cs.dartmouth.edu > I lubricate instrument nuts for living. I did try graphite (or > lead pencil) in the past, but for the last... well, 15 or so, > years i use a good quality bees wax, just lifting the string > above the nut a bit and applying the wax on this little > bit of the string. Many advantages to the method, which you > could discover for yourselves, if tried. > I also tie leaders to the strings for living. With gut, you > could burn the end of the string to create a tiny ball (as done > with the frets) and use some non-stretching, better braided or > twisted material, it will less likely damage your pegs. It > should be thin enough for the knot to be portable, not to > interfere with the neighboring strings. A some sort of wrap- > around knot (shell knot is a good one) might be the best. Yes it > will stabilize certain things, yes, possible. But boy, it will > look ugly. On the lute...? Plus, there is a tremendous chance > that these leaders will resonate to your notes in the most > unexpected ways and create some new and challenging tuning > problems. While the usual piece of string in the peg box is > still a good quality even round string, and if resonates, still > harmoniously in some way, a tied leader will not so. > Alexander r. > > > > On Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:27:13 +0000 > Ron Andrico <praelu...@hotmail.com> wrote: > > > I have found it necessary to tie a 'leader' > onto unexpectedly shortened > > strings and finding that, surprisingly, it > does seem to stabilize > > tuning problems. I have always used well- > stretched bits of slightly > > thicker-gauged used gut or fret gut, since > it seems to find its point > > of stability in fairly short order. Of > course the knot makes a > > difference and it must be fast and not catch > on other strings or the > > tuning problem is exacerbated. Your > strings need to be well-ordered in > > the pegbox or the crisscrossing will result > in unauthorized > > intermingling and the catching of windings, > gimps or fibers. > > Lubricating the nut with a pencil is > probably the place to start > > tacking the problem though. > > RA > > > Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2012 00:49:15 -0600 > > > To: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu > > > From: wa...@physics.utexas.edu > > > Subject: [LUTE] Non-stretchy pegbox leaders. > > > > > > > > > We had a discussion similar to this three > years ago > > > (Dec 7 2008). However, I'd like to revisit > the subject with > > > my question rephrased to focus more > closely on my problem. > > > > > > Stretching of strings between the nut and > the peg is causing > > > me severe difficulty in tuning -- I can > turn the peg > > > 90 or 120 degrees with no response in the pitch. > > > > > > Lubricating the nut is of course a possibility. > > > > > > But I'd also like to try replacing the > portion of the string > > > between nut and peg with a leader of some > material which > > > (a) does not stretch, > > > (b) can be tied securely and easily to the > string,> > (c) will not slip on the peg, > > > (d) will not damage anything, > > > (e) is strong enough, and > > > (f) is readily available. > > > > > > Does anyone have experience in this? > > > > > > > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list > information at > > > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute- > admin/index.html> > > -- > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
