What should the appropriate string length be?
A safe index should not exceed the 240 value. So: 240/440 Hz = .545 mt. In practice the appropriate string lengt (at A-440) should not exceed 54 cm. Rule of thumb (assuming the system bridge-string-nut is free from any so called ‘cutting effect’): – Working index within 240: green light. – Working index between 250 and 260: amber light (the treble could break in a few hours/days, especially by high humidity). – Working index over 260: red light (the treble will break immediately or within minutes). Because of the lack of the instrument size standardization, it is important to verify whether medieval lutes and harps satisfy these values, but also where exact copies of original instruments, lutes first of all, are concerned – original string lengths were optimized for the pitches used by the customers of the time, and the pitches commonly in use today are usually higher. 15) What is the acoustical lower limit of a gut string? It’s the maximum diameter able to produce an acoustic performa
