Mechanics of String Making
The major reason in terms of why our strings may feel or play differently to those from other companies lies with our use of round core wire in all our Phosphor Bronze strings and some of our Nickel and Stainless Steel strings too.
This is what I learned on the day I watched a piano being restrung'. Piano strings often utilise a round core wire and it struck me that piano strings must be made to last many years and maybe round cores had something to do with their longevity. Most guitar strings are made on a hexagonal core, because it is easier to mass manufacture strings and achieve fairly consistent products. We have consulted many, many players who use our strings to find out what they like about them, and the most common response about our round cored ranges of strings are as follows:
- Our round cored strings have a slightly lower tension to pitch than hexagonal cored strings, meaning less strain on the guitar neck and soundboard.
- A longer life due to there being no angular surfaces under the wrapping wire where dirt can accumulate, deadening the string and increasing it's susceptibility to corrosion.
- Being at a slightly lower tension allows a heavier gauge set to be used without compromising the 'feel' of the guitar to much and providing the benefit of a fuller tone.
Although I didn't know it at the time of developing the 'Master class' range, all wound strings used to be made using round cores, but the consistency was so poor that when hexagonal wire was introduced these strings took over and round cored strings became a thing of the past.
Now that I've managed to achieve a consistent product, players can enjoy the benefits of round cores without wondering whether the set of strings they buy will be any good or not.
We always try to ensure that the materials we use are the finest available. Our phosphor bronze is of the Cu92 Sn8 composition, a 92% copper to 8% tin ratio as used extensively in the manufacture of cymbals. The steel we use for our plain strings and cores is high tensile tin plated, the tin being sufficient to resist corrosion under normal circumstances. - M. Newton