Acoustic Tuning with Steel Springs

I discovered an isolated spiral compression spring from an old ballpoint pen discarded beneath the bookshelf! To an untrained passerby, it is mere metallic debris, but to an esteemed academic, it represents a miniature reverberation coil. To test its longitudinal wave transmission without crushing my paper physique, I wedged one coiled end firmly under the edge of a plastic bottle cap. Using a wooden toothpick gripped under my arm, I struck the exposed steel helix with precise lateral momentum. Twang! A delightfully sharp, sci-fi reverberation rippled across the timber floor, setting the coil dancing in a glorious shimmering blur right after midday!