WO2009075644A1

WO2009075644A1 - Music string

Info

Publication number: WO2009075644A1
Application number: PCT/SE2008/051442
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sina Vosough
Original assignee: Sandvik Intellectual Property Ab
Priority date: 2007-12-13
Filing date: 2008-12-11
Publication date: 2009-06-18

Abstract

A metallic music string and a music instrument comprising such string. The metallic music string has an end termination element for anchoring the string to the body or bridge of a music instrument attached to an end thereof, said end termination element being formed onto the string end by casting or welding, and said end termination element being made of a metal. The string comprises an anchoring portion, onto which the end termination element is cast. The anchoring portion comprises a string portion which is pre-coiled or wound to a helical spring comprising at least one loop. The string curvature of the anchoring portion should have a radius of at least 2 times the string diameter. The string may be a stainless steel string, e.g. a precipitation hardenable stainless steel string.

Description

Music string

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a metallic music string having an end termination element, and a music instrument comprising such string.

BACKGROUND ART

The ball end of a music string has the purpose to anchor the string to the body or bridge of the instrument. The manner of attachments of the string to the bridge of the instrument has an impact on the sound of the instrument. The most common ball-end has a barrel shape with a groove in the centre, and is often made of brass. The string is fastened to the ball end by means of a loop, such that the string follows the groove of the ball-end and is looped back onto itself and "twisted" around its own axis, such that the ball-end is retained by the loop.

The barrel shaped ball end type of end termination has certain disadvantages, for example due to tuning issues, since the portion of the string that is twisted around the string axis, tightens gradually, and thus needs time to settle. As the twisting tightens, the twist yields due to slippage, and therefore repeated re- tuning is needed until the twisting has settled. The twisting of the string into a loop may also be of inferior quality, which may lead to tuning difficulties and less beautiful tone of the instrument. The twisting also exerts severe forces on the string, which results in that traditional ball ends cannot be used for certain types of steel strings.

There is a need for an end termination for music strings that can be used for all kinds of metal strings. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a metallic music string having an end termination element attached to an end thereof, characterised in that said end termination element is formed onto the string end by casting or welding, said end termination element being made of a metal. Such an end termination element can be efficiently attached to the string and is suitable for all kinds of metallic strings. The string may be a stainless steel string. Said end termination element is particularly useful for precipitation hardenable stainless steel strings, for which it is difficult to attach conventional ball end type of end terminations.

The string comprises an anchoring portion at the string end, onto which the end termination element is cast. The anchoring portion comprises a string portion which is pre-coiled, or wound to a helical spring comprising at least one loop. Such anchoring portion strengthens the attachment of the end termination element, and reduces the risk for pull-out of the string. The radius of curvature of the string within the anchoring portion is at least 2 times the diameter of the string, in order to enable an efficient anchoring portion also for a string which has low bendability. The metal of the end termination element may be zinc or a zinc alloy or steel.

The invention also relates to a music instrument comprising a metallic music string as described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1a illustrates a string having a cylindrical end termination element.

Figure 1 b illustrates a string having a spherical end termination element.

Figure 2 a-d illustrates different ways of forming a string end anchoring portion, where Fig. 2a is a pre-coiled anchoring portion, coiled around a large mandrel; Fig. 2b is an anchoring portion in the form of a two-loop helical spring, coiled around a small mandrel, and having a locking turn; Fig. 2c is an anchoring portion in the form of a one-loop helical spring, coiled around a small mandrel, having no locking turn; and Fig. 2d is an anchoring portion in the form of a two- loop helical spring, coiled around a small mandrel, having no locking turn.

Figure 3 illustrates the result of tensile test of strings of precipitation hardenable stainless steel and strings of comparative examples.

Figure 4 illustrates the result of a relaxation test of precipitation hardenable stainless steel wires with a diameter of 0.254 mm.

Figure 5 illustrates the result of a relaxation test of precipitation hardenable stainless steel wires with a diameter of 0.33 mm.

Figure 6 illustrates the result of a relaxation test of precipitation hardenable stainless steel wires with a diameter of 0.43 mm.

Figure 7 illustrates the result of a magnetic resonance test of a precipitation hardenable stainless steel string.

Figure 8 illustrates the result of a magnetic resonance test of a precipitation hardenable stainless steel string of a comparative example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides for a metallic music string that is provided with an end termination element at its end. The end termination element is made of metal in order to avoid dampening of the tone generated by the instrument. A termination element made of plastic material would for example muffle the sound, which is undesirable for many guitar players.

The metallic music string with the end termination element is intended for use in all kinds of stringed instruments such as guitars, violins, pianos, harps etc. The string may be used in acoustic and semi-acoustic instruments, as well as in instruments where the tone is generated by the string vibrating in a magnetic field such as electric instruments, and in particular for guitars.

Suitable materials for the end termination element may be steel, brass, or zinc, aluminium, tin, copper, and alloys thereof.

By moulding or welding the end termination element to the string a very efficient way of manufacture is obtained. In both cases an end portion of the string is inserted into a mold and molten metal is supplied to the mold. The end termination element thus obtained is in one piece and solid. The end termination element may have the shape of a cylinder, which may be slightly rounded at the edges of the short side, see Fig. 1a, or be spherical as shown in Fig. 1 b. The use of a spherical end termination element allows a more even distribution of the forces exerted by the end termination element on the bridge. This applies to all end termination element shapes which include a hemisphere at the portion directed towards the string.

When moulding the end termination element to the string end portion the molten metal comes closely up against the string end portion, thus giving a secure attachment of the end termination element to the string. As described below, the string may be provided with a securing curvature that functions as an anchoring portion, which results in an even stronger attachment of the end termination element to the string.

The end termination element may be moulded to the string by die-casting. An end portion of the string is then inserted into a die casting mold. The die-cast mold is typically sprayed with lubricant and is closed. Molten metal is then injected into the die under high pressure, typically around 100 MPa. The high pressure makes the casted element as precise and as smooth as the mold.

Once the cavity is filled, the pressure is maintained until the casting has become solid, which typically takes a few seconds. The mold may optionally be water cooled. Finally, the die is opened and the casting is ejected. In addition to high-pressure injection, high-speed injection is also important in order to assure that the entire cavity fills before any part of the casting solidifies. In this way, discontinuities, which may spoil the finish or weaken the casting, are avoided.

Before the die casting cycle can be started the die must be installed in a die casting machine and brought to operating temperature (about 420-650 ⁰C, or higher depending on the material to be casted). This set-up period may require 1-2 hours. Each casting cycle takes a few seconds.

The die casting molds may typically be made of steel or ceramic material. A typical die set will last 500,000 cycles during its lifetime, depending on what material is used for the casted elements. Molds for die casting brass have a very short life-time. Molds for die casting elements of aluminum or aluminum alloys also have a short life-time, due to the high temperature of the liquid metal resulting in deterioration of steel mold cavities. Molds for die casting zinc last almost indefinitely due to the lower temperature of the zinc.

The die casting machine automatically opens and closes the mold and injects the liquid metal, all under high pressure and as rapidly as possible, in the case of zinc up to several hundred times an hour. Means may be provided to automatically remove the casted items (shot) and re-cycle the machine.

If needed, the castings are separated from the scrap, e.g. by using a trim die in a power press or hydraulic press, or by separating by hand or by sawing, in which case grinding may be necessary to smooth the gate mark where molten metal entered or left the cavity. Finally, the surface may be improved by polishing, plating, buffing or painting.

The end termination element may be made of zinc or a zinc alloy. Zinc alloys facilitate higher die casting cycle speeds versus aluminium and other metal alloys due to the lower casting temperature, smoother surface finishes, and higher standards of dimensional accuracy. Compared to plastic, zinc alloys are several times stronger and many times more rigid. An end termination element made of metal, in particular zinc or a zinc alloy, gives a much better sound to the instrument.

The end termination element must be securely fastened to the string to avoid pull-out of the string. In order to improve the attachment strength of the end termination element the outermost part of the string end portion can be provided with an anchoring portion, by pre-coiling or winding the spring to a helical spring onto which the end termination element is moulded or welded. The helical spring comprises one, two or more loops, and may also comprise a locking turn, in which the outermost string end portion is bent around the a section of the string just above the first loop of the helical spring or coil, so as to hold the loop or loops in position. The radius of curvature of the string within the helical spring portion may at least 2 times the radius of the string, or at least 4 times the radius of the string. The above method of anchoring the end termination element to the string allows for the provision of an anchoring portion also to a string which cannot be sharply bent due to low twisting or bending resistance. By bending the string to a curvature where the radius is not below 2 times the diameter of the string, sharp bending is avoided, which is advantageous for all metal strings, and which is particularly suitable when the string is made of steel that is sensitive to twisting or bending.

The anchoring portion may be realised by bending or winding of the string end around a mandrel. In order to obtain an appropriate curvature of the string, the mandrel may have a diameter of at least 2 times the diameter of the string, or at least 4 times the diameter of the string so as to obtain an even more flat curvature, which contributes to avoid stress in the string material.

The end termination element may also be welded onto the string end, whereby the string end portion is inserted into a mould and metal that is molten by means of a welding flame from a metal rod is fed to the mould. The metal used for the welded end termination element may be steel, e.g. stainless steel, in particular the same steel as is used for the string. When a steel end termination is welded onto the string end, the temperature must be sufficiently high to melt the steel rod, approximately 1400⁰C. At this temperature the string end portion inserted into the mould will also melt, and form a fully integrated part of the string end termination.

During the forming of the end termination element, the casting or welding equipment is preferably arranged such that the portion of the string that is not to be incorporated into the end termination element is shielded from the heat of the casting or welding process. The string should preferably not be heated to more than 300⁰C.

A string comprising an end termination element moulded or welded onto the anchoring portion as described above will be easily brought to pitch, and will hold its tension and tune substantially without stretching. Since there is substantially no slippage of the string from the end termination element, re- tuning due to this phenomenon will not be required.

Tests were performed in which a metallic string was wound around a mandrel in different fashions (1 , 2 and 3 loops, 2 loops with locking turn, on a mandrel having a diameter of 2 times the diameter of the string; and 2 loops wound on a mandrel having a diameter of 4 times the diameter of the string), so as to obtain anchoring portions, onto which a zinc end termination element was die-casted. The strings were then mounted on a tensiometer, and were brought to playing tension for an acoustic guitar (11.9 kg), and held at that tension for a while. It was found that all end terminations were adequately anchored to the string. No sign of pull-out, slippage or tension drop was observed. The tension was then increased, in order to record the tension value at which the string was pulled out of the end termination element. It was found that the pull-out tension was approximately twice as high as the playing tension, 23-29.5 kg. Further, it was found that 2 loops on the smaller mandrel, with or without locking turn, gave the highest pull-out tension, about 25-30 % higher pull-out tension than the anchoring portion having 1 loop on the smaller mandrel, which had the lowest pull-out tension value. The string may be a stainless steel string, such as a string made of duplex stainless steel or precipitation hardenable stainless steel. Strings made of duplex stainless steel are described in WO2007/058611 and strings made of precipitation hardenable stainless steel are described in WO2007/067135. Such materials have excellent corrosion resistance and resistance to relaxation. Both duplex and precipitation hardenable stainless steel strings are suitable for both acoustic and electric instruments.

The string end termination of the present invention is particularly advantageous for strings made of precipitation hardenable stainless steel, since attachment of traditional ball ends to such strings is very difficult. Precipitation hardenable stainless steel has a very high tensile strength and corrosion resistance, which makes it excellent for the manufacture of music strings. However, when this steel is used for a string it needs to be treated to withstand the tensioning force, as a consequence of that becomes more brittle, and therefore has a relatively low bendability and twistability, which makes it fairly sensitive to bending and twisting. The traditional barrel shaped ball end cannot be used for strings made of precipitation hardenable stainless steel, since such strings cannot withstand the twisting that is required to fasten a traditional ball end without breaking. In comparison, many other steel strings can be twisted up to a hundred turns or more before breaking.

A music string must possess many different properties. The most important is a high mechanical strength which allows the string to be loaded to its tuning frequency, and to resist the variations in tension in the string when played on.

The level of mechanical strength required depends on the diameter of the string. Finer strings are used for the higher tones and generally, the finer the string the higher the mechanical strength required. For example, a 0.254 mm (0.010") guitar string to be used for the tone E must have a tensile strength of at least 1500 MPa to be tuned. Furthermore, in order to safely withstand the tensions created when played on by a plectrum, the 0.254 mm string should preferably have a tensile strength of approximately 2500 MPa. Another important property is the resistance to relaxation of the string material. This property basically tells how well the guitar string will maintain its tune. For example, a loss of force in the magnitude of 1 N in a string of diameter 0.33 mm, loaded to the tone B on a guitar (i.e. 247 Hz), corresponds to a drop of approximately 2 Hz in frequency. Since the human ear can detect the difference between, e.g., 440 Hz and 441 Hz, a force loss of 1 N will be well audible for the human ear. If a drop like this occurs, the string needs to be retuned. Frequent retuning is disturbing for the musician, and will over time deteriorate the properties of the string. Hence, eventually the tone quality of the string will be affected and thereby also the life time of the string. Consequently, for improved tuning stability, tone quality and string life, it is desirable that the string material has a high resistance to relaxation. Another essential property of the string material is its ability to be cold drawn to the required wire dimensions, without becoming too brittle.

In case of a string for electrical instruments, such as an electrical guitar, the sound generated by the string is a result of the electromagnetic properties of the string. Most electric guitars apply electromagnetic pickups which consist of a coil with a permanent magnet. The string vibrations cause changes in the magnetic flux through the coil, thus inducing electrical signals, which are transferred to an amplifier where the signal is further processed and amplified. The more magnetic the string, the higher voltage the produced in the coil and the louder the sound created.

Moreover, a string of a musical instrument is exposed to different types of corrosion. The corrosion will stain the string, thereby affecting both the mechanical properties and the tuning properties over time. One type of corrosion to which a string is subjected is atmospheric corrosion, which can be substantial on carbon steel in humid and warm conditions or, when the instrument is played on outdoors. Furthermore, substances such as sweat or grease may be transferred from the musician to the string, which may constitute a risk of corrosion of the string. Human sweat contains sodium chloride which is highly corrosive. Grease on the other hand may collect other substances that corrode the string lightly and discolour the surface of it permanently.

Ordinary strings are commonly made of high carbon steel drawn to different wire diameters. Carbon steel has many good qualities, such that it is easy to draw wire to high strength levels without encountering brittleness. However, a major drawback of carbon steel when used in strings is that it corrodes easily, thus staining the surface which will affect the tone quality and playing characteristics of the string. Staining is a common reason for restringing an instrument.

Many attempts to arrest corrosion on carbon steel strings have been done without success, e.g., coating strings with different materials such as natural and synthetic polymers, which generally decreases the string vibrations, thus leading to reduced brightness and an inferior sound quality. Another drawback of carbon steel strings is their tendency to be stretched when loaded. This effect caused by relaxation of the material is particularly noticeable the first period after stringing a new instrument or after restringing an old instrument, both on large, static instruments such as pianos, and on small, mobile instruments such as guitars and violins. A new carbon steel string requires a "setting time" until is reaches a stable tone. Obviously, the instrument itself accounts for a large portion of the "detuning" as a result of variations in humidity and temperature, but much of the effect is attributed to the strings. For a piano producer, for instance, this means a long and costly period of tuning and retuning before delivery of a new instrument, and for an instrument player it means frequent retuning until an acceptable tone has been reached.

By utilizing a precipitation hardenable stainless steel in music strings both the corrosion resistance and the resistance to relaxation are much improved compared to commonly used carbon steel strings and thereby the life time of the string is prolonged.

The different material properties of importance for the performance of a music string are the yield and tensile strength, the resistance to relaxation, the corrosion resistance, the shape, the surface finish, and, for electrical instruments, the electromagnetic properties.

A precipitation hardenable stainless steel string has a prolonged service life compared to e.g. carbon steel strings. In this context, service life is considered to be the time up to breakage of the string or the time to when the musician feels the need to change the string due to deteriorated properties of the string, such as a loss of tuning stability or tone quality.

Precipitation hardenable stainless steels are corrosion resistant ferrous alloys that have been strengthened by precipitation hardening. The precipitation hardening produces a multiphase structure resulting in an increased resistance to dislocation motion and hence greater strength or hardness. These types of steel can generally be found in applications such as corrosion resistant structural members.

Resulting from the materials selection, a string made of precipitation hardenable stainless steel has a high mechanical strength, such as a tensile strength of at least 1800 MPa when in a diameter of 0.33 mm and in cold drawn condition. Also, the tensile strength is at least 2500 when in a diameter of 0.254 mm and in heat treated condition, i.e. aged. Furthermore, it has a resistance to relaxation which does not necessitate a retuning more frequently than once every 18 hours, or even 24 hours, when played on under normal conditions.

Moreover, the precipitation hardenable stainless steel string is resistant to corrosion caused by the environment or substances transferred to the string during its use. As a consequence, the string does not need to be coated for improved protection and maintains its bright surface, and thus retains its acoustic characteristics over time.

Even though a direct comparison of the corrosion resistance of carbon steel and stainless steel is difficult since the test methods commonly used differ substantially, it is well established that carbon steel rusts strongly in pure water, and even more so in chloride containing waters. On the other hand, stainless steel resists pure water but may be subject to pitting corrosion in chloride containing water. The corrosion process is accelerated with increased chloride content and/or temperature. The precipitation hardenable stainless steel is quite resistant in aqueous solutions and performs better than, e.g., stainless steel of type AISI 304. This also means that it outperforms carbon steel music strings in this respect.

Uniform shape and smooth surface finish of the string are important parameters for achieving a harmonic sound and a good feeling of the string when played. The acoustic properties of a string are difficult to quantify but are very important for how the musician and the listener experience the sound of the string. The perception of the acoustic sound of precipitation hardenable stainless steel strings is similar to that of commonly used carbon steel strings.

Suitable precipitation hardenable stainless steels, to be used in music strings having the end termination element of the present invention, generally contain 10-20 percent by weight of Cr and 4-10 percent by weight of Ni. A precipitation hardenable stainless steel suitable for use as music string could, for example, have the following composition in percent per weight: C max 0.1 ; Si max 1.5; Mn 0.2-3; S max 0.1 ; P max 0.05; Cr 10-19; Ni 4-10; Mo+0.5W max 6; Cu max 4.5; one or more of the elements Ti, Nb, Ta and Al >0 - 2; balance Fe and normally occurring impurities.

Examples of such stainless steels are UNS S46910, UNS S17700, UNS S17400 and UNS S45500. The precipitation hardenable stainless steel UNS S46910 is particularly suitable.

The precipitation hardenable stainless steel may comprise various additions for accomplishing precipitations. The precipitation hardenable stainless steel may comprise 0.5-1 % by weight of Ti such as in the case of UNS S46910 and UNS S45500. Alternatively, the stainless steel comprises 0.2-1.5 % by weight of Al such as in the case of UNS S17700 and UNS S46910. Further, the steel may comprise 0.1-0.6 % by weight of Ta + Nb as in the case of UNS S45500 and UNS S17400.

An important criterion when selecting a suitable precipitation hardenable stainless steel for a music string is the ability to manufacture wires of the material in order to produce the string. It is a prerequisite that the selected composition can be cold drawn to very fine diameters such as 0.254 mm or 0.33 mm without becoming brittle.

The string is produced by means of conventional cold drawing processes for the manufacturing of wire. The cold drawing process gives rise to formation of deformation-induced martensite which leads to increased mechanical strength and a more magnetic material. The amount of cold deformation is important for achieving the desired strength and magnetic properties of the wire.

In order to further improve the properties of the string, the precipitation hardenable stainless steel may be subjected to a heat treatment at 400 - 550⁰C, normally for up to 4 hours. This aging heat treatment produces a precipitation hardenable of the material which substantially increases its tensile strength.

The manufacturing processes for producing wire of precipitation hardenable stainless steel result in strings of good surface finish, i.e. strings with a uniform and harmonious sound that are comfortable to play on.

The string may comprise a core wrapped with metal strands. The core or the wrapping, or both core and wrapping can consist of precipitation hardenable material. If precipitation hardenable steel is used for the wrapping, heat treatment and reduction of the material is adapted so that the precipitation hardenable steel wrapping wire is sufficiently soft to allow wrapping around the core. The precipitation hardenable steel used for the core has to be able to withstand the tensioning force, and is more brittle and thus has lower bendability and twistability. Example 1

Test wires were produced of a precipitation hardenable stainless steel with the following approximate composition (all in percent by weight): C 0.01 %; Si 0.2 %; Mn 0.3 %; Cr 12 %; Ni 9 %; Mo 4 %; Co 0.6 %; Ti 0.9 %; Cu 2 %; Al 0.3 %; balance Fe, and normally occurring impurities. This alloy is standardized under US-standard AISI UNS S46910.

Wires were cold drawn to diameters of 0.254 mm, 0.33 mm and 0.43 mm, respectively. One wire of each diameter was heat treated at a temperature of 475 ⁰C for 10 minutes, resulting in an increased strength and a further improved resistance to relaxation of the material.

The yield and tensile strengths were measured by a tensile test in accordance with SS-EN 10002-1 and compared to 8 different comparative examples of carbon steel strings. The approximate compositions and string diameters of the comparative examples are shown in Table 1. The yield (RP02) and tensile (Rm) strength values are listed in Table 2 and are illustrated in Figure 1. It appears that the mechanical properties of the precipitation hardenable stainless steel, both in the as-drawn and the as-aged condition, match well the characteristics of the conventional strings. The positive effect of aging is clearly shown in Table 2.

Table 2.

Example 2

The relaxation resistance was tested by plucking 0.254, 0.33 mm diameter and 0.43 mm diameter strings approximately 200 times per minute with a pick. The compositions are those of example 1. The test was performed over a 24 hour period. The plucking point of the pick was set at 18 cm from a force sensor connected to a computer. The total length of each string was 65 cm and the strings rested on two plastic pieces at each end point. The distance between each end point and its corresponding force sensors was 5 cm. The diameter and its corresponding tone frequency are given in Table 3 along with the original tension and the engineering stress of the strings. Table 3.

The results of the relaxation tests of strings with diameters 0.254 mm, 0.33 mm and 0.43 mm are shown in Figure 2, Figure 3 and Figure 4 respectively. In Table 4, the same results are listed in the form of the linear Equation 1 , wherein y is the load applied, k is a constant, x is the time, and yo is the initial load. The frequency loss is calculated based on a density of 7700 kg/m³.

Equation 1. y(x) = - k*x + y₀

Table 4.

The lower the k-value, i.e., the slope of the linear equation for a given string, the better its relaxation resistance is. The results furthermore show that the precipitation hardenable stainless steel in heat treated condition, i.e. aged, has better relaxation resistance compared to traditional carbon steel used in music strings. The strong positive effect of aging on the relaxation resistance is clearly demonstrated.

The human ear can detect a change in tune frequency of 1 Hz. The string of Comparative Example 7 had lost 1.5 N (corresponding to a frequency lost of approximately 2 Hz) after 24 hours which means that such a string must be retuned once every 12 hours. On the other hand, a string of precipitation hardenable steel with a corresponding diameter and heat treated condition had lost 0.6 N corresponding to a frequency lost of approximately 0.8 Hz, which in turn results in a need for retuning once every 30 hours.

For comparison, a string according to the precipitation hardenable steel having a diameter of 0.254 mm and being in heat treated condition had lost 0.3 N which corresponds to a frequency lost of approximately 0.68 Hz. This results in a need for retuning once every 35 hours.

Example 3

The magnetic resonance of the alloy of Example 1 was tested on a guitar and compared to that of Comparative Example 7. The strings were plucked at a distance of 10 cm from the bridge and subjected to a force corresponding to the shear-breaking point of a 0.10 mm copper wire. The copper wire was looped perpendicularly around the plucked string and then pulled until reaching the breaking point. In this way the same force was applied for every test run. The breaking point of the copper wire must also be at the point of contact with the plucked string. If the copper wire broke at any other point the procedure was repeated. A series of five approved tests were done on each string, and the results are represented in graphs as per Figures 5 and 6. The result shows that the ageing process does not affect the magnetic properties of the material.

Example 4

Furthermore the magnetic weight of the material was tested and compared to Comparative Example 4. To measure the amount of magnetic phase, a magnetic balance was used. The magnetic balance contains two major components, an electromagnet and a strain gauge. The electromagnet generates a strong inhomogenic magnetic field between two wedge-shaped poles where the test sample is placed. A magnetic string will be pulled down by the magnetic force. The force, which is proportional to the amount of magnetic phase, is then measured by the strain gauge. This measurement yields the saturation magnetization of the sample and by calculating the theoretical saturation magnetization for this steel it is possible to determine the amount of magnetic phase present in the sample, i.e., the magnetic weight. The values from the magnetic weight tests are illustrated in Table 5.

Table 5.

It appears that the precipitation hardenable stainless steel alloy has a magnetism that is comparable to that of commonly used carbon steel wires, thus making the alloy particularly suitable for applications requiring a magnetic material, i.e., strings for electromagnetic pick-up instruments such as electric guitars.

Claims

1. A metallic music string having an end termination element for anchoring the string to the body or bridge of a music instrument attached to an end thereof, characterised in that said end termination element is formed onto the string end by casting or welding, said end termination element being made of a metal, wherein said string end comprises an anchoring portion onto which the end termination element is cast, which anchoring portion comprises a string portion which is pre-coiled, or wound to a helical spring comprising at least one loop, said anchoring portion having a string curvature, the radius of which is not below 2 times the diameter of the string.

2. The string of claim 1 , wherein the string is a stainless steel string.

3. The string of claim 2, wherein the string is a precipitation hardenable stainless steel string.

4. The string of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the metal of the end termination element is zinc or a zinc alloy.

5. The string of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the metal of the end termination element is steel.

6. Music instrument characterized in that it comprises a metallic music string according to any one of claims 1-5.