Quote:
Originally Posted by Twitch
Just curious ... from my understanding higher pitch strings are plain nickel/steel. Lower pitch strings are plain nickel/steel wrapped in brass/bronze. Why is brass/bronze the material of choice and not more nickel/steel?
Also, is the only reason to wrap a string instead of making it all solid is that it provides flexibility while adding mass?
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Wrapping brass around a thin steel string increases the mass while allowing it to be flexible as you have mentioned. Greater mass allows the string to resonate at a lower pitch while the steel core is closer to it's breaking tension.
Brass has several qualities that make it a better choice than steel. It doesn't rust. It is heavier per volume (S.G.) It is more malleable. It is softer, so creates less fret wear on nickle silver frets (steel is harder than nickle silver).