Tuning the Wire

Tested the clamp on the workbench first thing this morning. The cast-iron threads held firm against the beech edge. The heavy bass string hadn't slipped an inch, but the cold air overnight slackened the wire. The hum was dull. I didn't rush to loosen the bolt. Found a flat copper washer in the screw dish and slid it right under the wooden bridge splinter. That raised the action a fraction of a millimeter. Drew my thumb across the wound steel. A sharp, resonant twang cut through the quiet room, buzzing long and steady against the overturned tin lid. That's the tension it needed.