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Second gauge strings for long meends. MELODIC INSTRUMENTS
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Junior Member 2 posts Nirmal Parashakti Junior Member 2 posts
Nirmal Parashakti 
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Namaste!

I would like to know what brand of strings 
and gauge for the second string of the sitar 
(Sa) that can withstand very wide and prolonged mends 
without breaking. I've tried various brands and gauges,
 but I can't do three or four-tone meends 
without breaking them.

Thanks and kind regards!


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katyrow Senior Member 447 posts
katyrow
Phosphor bronze jor wire will break with aggressive meend regardless of brand or maker.  The only solution is to switch to beryllium copper, which is difficult to find and usually not sold as music wire.  

https://www.vintagesitars.com/
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Nirmal Parashakti Junior Member 2 posts
Nirmal Parashakti
Thanks a lot for your answer, Katyrow,  I´ll try to find this kind of strings.

Namaste!

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Lars Senior Member 1,683 posts
Lars
I've got them in .016 singles in beryllium copper but it's not up on the website.
http://www.raincitymusic.com
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mizrable Senior Member 149 posts
mizrable
katyrow wrote:
Phosphor bronze jor wire will break with aggressive meend regardless of brand or maker.  The only solution is to switch to beryllium copper, which is difficult to find and usually not sold as music wire.  

so what purpose is it usually sold for
?
<a href="https://www.vintagesitars.com/" target="_blank">https://www.vintagesitars.com/</a>
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katyrow Senior Member 447 posts
katyrow
Mizrable, It's used to make precision springs.  
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barend Senior Member 1,426 posts
barend
Flatwounds can also handle more meend. Sound is different though. But you normally don’t bend more than a whole tone. Half tone on normal strings. 
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Sillofthedoor Senior Member 205 posts
Sillofthedoor

Are you aware that not using meend very much at all, and not more than a half tone, on the second string is the usual technique for dealing with this particular limitation?   

 

Because there is a difference between knowing that and deciding to extend the instruments capabilities beyond it,  and just not knowing that.   🙂. 

I think the itiwa  players have been at least pushing against the boundary for a while now (?).

can anyone comment on how beryllium copper sounds and how limited it is for meend? 

 
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mizrable Senior Member 149 posts
mizrable
Sillofthedoor wrote:

Are you aware that not using meend very much at all, and not more than a half tone, on the second string is the usual technique for dealing with this particular limitation?   

 

Because there is a difference between knowing that and deciding to extend the instruments capabilities beyond it,  and just not knowing that.   🙂. 

I think the itiwa  players have been at least pushing against the boundary for a while now (?).

can anyone comment on how beryllium copper sounds and how limited it is for meend? 

 


its a game changer 
once it settles it stays in tune better
and you can pull at least 4 semi tones
if not way more
the tone isnt terrible either
it also allows longer meend s on pancham string because the juri has way more more give. and you can play open bols really hard without worry of string breakage
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Sillofthedoor Senior Member 205 posts
Sillofthedoor
thanks mizrable
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GenXNoob Member 83 posts
GenXNoob
mizrable wrote:

its a game changer 
once it settles it stays in tune better
and you can pull at least 4 semi tones
if not way more
the tone isnt terrible either
it also allows longer meend s on pancham string because the juri has way more more give. and you can play open bols really hard without worry of string breakage


I have a fully open jawari on my jori string, and I really love the tone of the excellent strings I get from Lars. (I bought one of his replica bridges, mine is an Anoushka Shankar model, it's really spectacular imo even if a lot of people think it's a little old fashioned 😉 ) 
Do you think the copper would hold up to that tone? I am a beginner so I don't often get down in the weeds of the bass strings but I'm intrigued by the expanded meend range on the pancham string you mention, I find that string to have a great sound on my Kolkata body farm sitar. 
Best wishes 🙏
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katyrow Senior Member 447 posts
katyrow
mizrable wrote:

its a game changer 


You can say that again.  It's changed my playing completely over the last couple of years.  I hear essentially no difference in tone between beryllium and phosphor bronze.  I've tried to break this wire, but have been unable to.  
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Lars Senior Member 1,683 posts
Lars
Beryllium copper is nearly the same as phosphor bronze. It's 92 to 95% copper and the rest is beryllium/cobalt versus tin/zinc in PB. The only issue and reason I don't have it in the cart system is that beryllium can be an irritant to those sensitive to it. But it's forged with the copper and then dipped in silver, not tin. So in theory if you had a sensitivity to beryllium AND the string was severly corroded AND a bunch of beryllium molecules were free AND you had a cut in your finger. Then you might have a skin reaction. So I don't sell it unless it's someone I know as you just never know what the comprehension level is of an anonymous buyer.
http://www.raincitymusic.com
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barend Senior Member 1,426 posts
barend
mizrable wrote:

and you can pull at least 4 semi tones
if not way more


if you really can do such high meends on the second string I want to try a beryllium copper string for sure!
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