Hearing set

[joachimM]

The bow was the first lyre, no?

So when you brace a bow, you can hear the tune of the string before drawing the bow.
Typically, after a few shots or draws, you hear the tune has dropped a bit, representing a reduction in tension on the string because the wood is not pushing back as much anymore. In other words, set. Even bows which hardly show set get tuned down a bit, typically a half to a full note.

Just out of curiosity, does anyone listen to the bow to measure set?

[Marc St Louis]

The bow was the first lyre, no?

So when you brace a bow, you can hear the tune of the string before drawing the bow.
Typically, after a few shots or draws, you hear the tune has dropped a bit, representing a reduction in tension on the string because the wood is not pushing back as much anymore. In other words, set. Even bows which hardly show set get tuned down a bit, typically a half to a full note.

Just out of curiosity, does anyone listens to the bow to measure set?

All the time

[bradsmith2010]

yes but I find if the pitch of the bow goes down after drawing the bow,,,, it is because too much moisture in the stave,, but you could be right about the set too,,

[upstatenybowyer]

Never thought of that, but it does make sense (of hearing  no pun intended). Thanks for a cool new idea! 

[DC]

I'm just making a string. I'll see if I can hear a difference as it stretches.

[PatM]

 Fastflite will bring everything up an octave.

[DC]

I'm just making a string. I'll see if I can hear a difference as it stretches.

Nope, by the time it had stretched the brace height down 1/4" I had forgotten the tune.

[Morgan]

Wow. Never thought of that. Is it possible for the limbs to give less tension after flexing them multiple times thereby changing the tune,  but not produce measurable set?

[leonwood]

Yes I do it al the time, listening and feeling the string tension at brace. (It has even become a habit of doing it after every 10 arrows or so) I notice that my best bows don't show any change in pitch after shooting a while. Those are also the bows who pop back to their rest profiles immediately after unstringing.

[Badger]

  I would bet most all the experienced guys here do even if they are not conciously aware of it. I don't listen to it as much as just sense the tension

[Pappy]

I feel the tension for sure but can barley here someone talk anymore ,so no don't listen to the note it is giving off 
 Pappy

[gfugal]

I'm going to use this method to measure the drying of the sinew. As it dries and shrinks it will reduce the tension in the string during reverse brace, thus pitch will reduce with time.

[Badger]

   This gave me an idea, I have one of those little electronic tuners that I use for making xylophone keys and tuning them. I bet if I checked the note on a freshly braced bow and then rechecked it after every full draw until it leveled off I might be able to select bows better to carry to the flight shoots.

[willie]

Badger, if you have one of those tuners already, you could see if you can hear the string tension change when you are no-set tillering. your benchmark could also be a note. Let us know if you can hear set approaching before you see the poundage drop.

[DC]

   This gave me an idea, I have one of those little electronic tuners that I use for making xylophone keys and tuning them. I bet if I checked the note on a freshly braced bow and then rechecked it after every full draw until it leveled off I might be able to select bows better to carry to the flight shoots.

That sounds like an idea for all of us. Now us tone deaf people will have a shot. It also gives you something you can write down.