Question Regarding string construction (of any brand)

[Coal48]

1.Why do all strings have a steel core?

you have:
nickel wound and RPS = steel core + steel wire with nickel plating
stainless steel = steel core + stainless steel wire
pure nickel = steel core + nickel wire
titanium coated RPS = ? + ? (I'm guessing they are like nickel wounds)
cobalt = steel core + cobalt wire
m-steel = m-steel core + cobalt wire

What is the reason why nickel or cobalt are never used as cores?

2.Why are there no large gauge plain strings? (or even, why make flatwounds or halfwounds instead?)

3.Why are strings wrapped like the following: a straight core plus a wire wrapped around it? As anyone ever tried twisting strings like rope, braids or any other methods? If so, why aren't they used?

I'm just curious

 

[ksandvik]

Some with expertise might answer the details but my take is trial-and-error has produced the current configuration of strings that work pretty well across a huge range of guitars, players, environments and configurations.

 

[TNT]

no steel core - no string tension!

hence: "steel" belted radial. No steel - no turn!

 

[Coal48]

I think you misunderstood me, I know that without a core, you can't have tension, even less a wire wrapped around nothing.

I meant, why are they MADE of steel?, why not nickel or cobalt cores?

Or do you mean, if they weren't made out of steel, there would not be enough tension because the other metals aren't as hard and you wouldn't be able to wrap a wire around them?

 

[DrKev]

1) With wound strings the core takes the tension, the windings provide the mass to lower the pitch (which partly answers the next two questions). Nickel or the EB cobalt alloy don't have the required physical properties to be made into a wire so fine that will withstand the tension of a core or plain strings. In fact the core wire and plain strings of pretty much all electric and acoustic guitar strings (and piano strings) are made of the same steel alloy.

2) As plain strings get thicker they also become more rigid, which causes problems with playability and intonation.

3) In the early days of string technology some people did try interwinding them but it didn't work well. It would also feel very weird under the fingers for guitar players.

 

[Coal48]

Ah I understand now, those are the answers I was looking for, thank you much DrKey!