Effects of Twisting and Surface Finish on the Mechanical Properties of Natural Gut Harp Strings.

ABSTRACT: Natural gut harp strings are made from twisted bundles of gut strips, which are dried, ground, and varnished. The effects of varying the twist angle and surface finishing on the mechanical properties of gut harp strings have been explored. Strings were tested over a range of twist angles from 23.5∘ to 58.3∘, and with all four combinations of ground or unground and varnished or unvarnished surface finishing. The principal effects of varying the degree of twisting were that the breaking strength and tensile Young's modulus both fell as the twist angle was increased. String makers must therefore make a compromise between sound quality and string strength and durability. Leaving the string unvarnished dramatically increased the sensitivity to changes in humidity, which, in turn, affected the t

SUBMITTER: Lynch-Aird N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10419811 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature