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Titanium alloy is tough and light, and is considered to be the main material for stringed instrument regulators and fixtures, but does metal also have acoustic advantages? Peter Somerford Investigation
Ulsa string regulator with titanium components
This article is from The Strad's Accessories 2018 supplement, released with the June 2018 issue-download on your desktop computer, through The Strad app, or buy the printed version
From chin rests, string adjusters and integrated trimmers to tail nails, and even tail strings and knobs, the range of stringed instrument accessories made of titanium continues to expand. Manufacturers of such parts usually regard titanium as the best material. Titanium has excellent mechanical properties and good acoustic quality. However, these attributes are not cheap due to the high cost of raw materials and difficult processing.
For players who are ready to pay, what can titanium provide that other materials don't? One of the main advantages of titanium is its strength-to-weight ratio, which is the highest among all pure metals. In applications such as string adjusters or chin rest clamps, the combination of low density (45% lighter than steel) and high tensile strength of titanium is particularly effective.
Knut Tempel has used titanium accessories in Tempel Germany’s chin rests for more than 25 years. He said: “When the weight of the chin rest is a major consideration for musicians, titanium is the best accessory material you can have. Because it is very strong. , So you don’t have to use too much, so the clip looks better.
One of the main advantages of titanium is the strength-to-weight ratio, which is the highest among all pure metals
Another reason why players may choose titanium chin rest clamps is that they are allergic to nickel. Titanium has a high degree of biocompatibility, so it can be used in biomedical implants such as pacemakers and hip replacements, so players can avoid skin reactions or irritation that may occur when using nickel-plated accessories. Coupled with the excellent corrosion resistance of titanium, we can see why the physical properties of metal make it so attractive as an accessory material.
Mberg string adjuster, made of titanium alloy: its one-piece body contains a spring joint
Most of the titanium used for stringed instrument accessories is not pure titanium, but a titanium alloy containing 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium (Ti 6Al-4V). This alloy is also called grade 5 titanium, which accounts for half of the world's total titanium consumption.
Some accessory manufacturers also use grade 2 titanium, an almost pure metal form, in their products, but this is not as strong as grade 5. Austrian Michael Bergbaur used titanium in his Mberg string adjuster, which has a-as opposed to the pin joint under the hook, the plate contains a spring joint.
"In addition to low density and very high tensile strength," he said, "Titanium also has a low modulus of elasticity, which means you can use it without deformation. This combination of mechanical properties allows me to Create a spring joint for the regulator. The one-piece design has obvious acoustic advantages, no pins or other parts to produce a damping effect. It also has half the weight of a traditional metal regulator.
The screw of the Bergbaur adjuster is not made of titanium, but made of gold-plated brass to maintain biocompatibility, but also because machining such a precise small thread in a titanium alloy is technically challenging. The problem faced by manufacturers is that the titanium screws or bolts in the titanium nuts may get stuck over time, especially if the screws are turned by hand under the pressure of the strings.
Otto Musica's all-titanium string adjuster, including screws and nuts
The German manufacturer Ulsa solved the problem of titanium versus titanium by using super hard brass screws, while the screws of the Chinese company Stradpet are made of a special anti-friction alloy that combines titanium with aluminum and bronze. In contrast, Otto Musica, a Taiwanese manufacturer of most accessories, has developed an all-titanium string adjuster that relies on ultra-precision tools to make titanium screw and nut combinations feasible.
Tom Lai, North American Sales Director of Otto Musica, said: "We have some local advantages in Taiwan, which is known for its high-tech and precision-driven hardware industry. Not only can we purchase high-quality materials, but we can also own them at a reasonable cost. Excellent tools for us to use.
Stradpet uses titanium bolts and titanium nuts in its tail line series, including a patented tail line for violins and viola, which combines an outer layer of titanium wire and a Kevlar core. Marketing Director Liang Li explained: "The adjustable titanium tail string perfectly matches the all-titanium screw and nut combination, because the screw does not need to be rotated under the pressure of the string. To adjust the length of the tail pipe, the string must be removed from the instrument.
Adjustable cello tail tip of Otto Musica
In March of this year, Stradpet launched a new version of titanium tail wire for violins and viola, replacing Kevlar and titanium wires with all-titanium wires braided from 49 titanium wires. "In addition to being sturdy and durable, Titanium Tailgut Pro is softer and more flexible than steel wire rope, nylon tail wire or even Kevlar titanium tail wire," Li said. "This flexibility means that the tail intestine can fit the saddle more closely, avoiding damage to the saddle."
Another recent Stradpet product is the titanium end button. It can be used for violin and viola. It is available in solid and hollow versions, designed to provide players with different acoustic possibilities. The hollow version even has a synthetic screw that can be removed for visual inspection of the inside of the instrument.
These innovations expand the potential of titanium as a player's choice, but even the more affordable titanium accessories are much more expensive than similar products made of steel, brass, aluminum or composite materials. Part of the reason is that processing costs are much higher. Oliver Ullsperger, director of Ulsa, pointed out that the milling time of titanium is almost 10 times that of brass, while Tom Lai of Otto Musica estimates that the machining cost of titanium chin rest fixtures is as high as 20 times that of traditional nickel-plated fixtures.
Left Stradpet's titanium alloy chin rest screw, tail tube and hollow end buckle. Right Stradpet's titanium end pin and variable diameter end button
However, even before processing, titanium is an expensive raw material. Although titanium deposits are widely distributed around the world, the production of metals from ore usually requires a long, energy-intensive process, requiring temperatures in excess of 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.
Alternative extraction processes that may reduce the price of titanium are being developed. But for now, it is not surprising that Stradpet chose stainless steel instead of titanium for its cello tailpipe, because according to the product's marketing literature, the cost of titanium rope is nearly 100 times that of similar stainless steel ropes.
Ulsa’s Solitär Titan cello tail pin combines titanium and hard brass screws
Another way to reduce product prices is to combine titanium with more affordable metals. For example, the string regulator provided by Ulsa combines titanium with aerospace-grade aluminum. Although not as strong and durable as titanium, aluminum is lighter, faster to process, and much cheaper, which means that the price of this Ulsa regulator is less than half of the company's all-titanium model.
If players can see through the price tag, then titanium seems to be the best accessory material, with a powerful combination of biocompatibility, strength, lightness and corrosion resistance. But what if weight or nickel allergy is not a problem? Can Titanium simply provide players with a sound advantage? Proponents of titanium as an excellent acoustic material point out that its internal damping coefficient is low.
Stradpet’s Liang Li explained: “Sound energy has almost no attenuation in titanium alloys. When mechanical vibration is applied to the material, the vibration decay time is longer than steel or copper. For example, if you put two tuning forks of the same size and shape, One is made of titanium and the other is made of steel or copper. Strike each tuning fork with the same force and you will find that the oscillation sound of the titanium fork lasts the longest.'
According to the manufacturer, Stradpet’s cello tail pin and variable diameter tail buckle “have a longer vibration decay time than steel or copper”
However, Michael Bergbaur does not believe that titanium has a sound advantage over brass or steel. “I worked with scientific research institutions in Germany and Austria to conduct acoustic tests on titanium and brass and found that the damping coefficients of the two materials are almost the same,” he said. 'For me, there is no special sound improvement; one of the great advantages of titanium is its mechanical properties.
In addition to objective tests and measurements, assessing sound is of course subjective. This is especially true when comparing cello and bass tailpipes. Manufacturers offer titanium models in hollow and solid rod versions, as well as various tailpipes made of brass, steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber.
Michael Vrzal, managing director of Berlin-based Fiedler Cases, a retailer of Klaus Bender cello and double bass tailpipes, said: “Titanium is not a panacea for all sound problems. Titanium nails can affect the sound of an instrument in a positive way. , But high-quality carbon fiber tail studs are also available. Players need to decide which material is best for their instrument, but usually they choose titanium tail studs because it has a brighter and more powerful sound. Tom Lai of Otto Musica said Agree, and said that the overall feedback he got from the cellist is that the titanium tailpipe has stronger penetrating power and the sound is sharper.
"Titanium studs can affect the sound in a positive way, but carbon fiber can also" – Michael Vrzal, Fiedler Cases
Stefan Krattenmacher, a German cello and double bass manufacturer, found that titanium alloys can produce a stronger and clearer sound than steel neck tubes, but his preferred neck tube material is usually brass. "It's much heavier than titanium, but it sounds better," he said. "I find that, especially for double basses, heavier weight is an advantage."
In addition, Krattenmacher is also concerned about the environmental impact of titanium. 'First of all, all the energy required to produce titanium means that from a purely environmental point of view, this is not good. For the 16mm solid double bass tailpipe, you have to use a lot of material.
Otto Musica's cello tail pin
Japanese professional manufacturer Mitsuke Precision Manufacturing combines titanium with other metals to create high-end tail pins that utilize the sonic potential of each material. "The cellist is looking for different qualities in the sound," said Junichi Mitsuke, the developer of the tailpipe. 'So I tried to make end pins with various materials. Brass brings a rich, deep sound, while titanium brings the brightness and clarity of the treble. Combining different materials provides a way to balance and customize the sound and blend these unique qualities together.
In addition to the brass and titanium alloy models, the Mitsuke series of cello and double bass tailpipes also include Triple Brillante, which combines titanium with brass and tungsten, and Quartet, which complements the latter's mixture with carbon fiber.
The price of this high-tech tail nail is as high as £250, which may be beyond the consideration of many players, which is understandable. However, other titanium products, such as string regulators and chin rest accessories, are easier to obtain, and are still an important choice for players with specific needs, especially if this is to avoid skin irritation or lighten the instrument. Overall weight.
This article is from The Strad's Accessories 2018 supplement, released with the June 2018 issue-download on your desktop computer, through The Strad app, or buy the printed version
In this video, Tim Duerinck demonstrates how to make a carbon fiber cello by hand. The music of the video is also played on a carbon fiber cello. To read his article on the possibilities of flax, carbon, aramid, etc. in violin making, click here.
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