> On Jan 3, 2016, at 9:30 AM, Andrew Appel <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> Ahh. My crow quills break as I described. From mortise to tip. And they too don't need to be replaced mid concert. But the clarity of the pluck is lost. 
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
>> On Jan 3, 2016, at 9:26 AM, T. Diehl <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Andrew,
>> Uhh, no, my quills do not break lengthwise from mortise to tip...
>> 
>> Turkey quill breaks exactly across the quill, (therefore in the width).
>> The quill kind of splits itself, and the layers below the topmost outer
>> layer of the quill continues to work fine.

I have seen both failure modes and both descriptions of the effects on the sound are spot on.  Each mode has a distinct sound and usually can be diagnosed by ear alone.  The longitudinal split seems to be caused by bending or buckling perpendicular to the long axis (pre-crushed feather, flat feather in curved mortise or curved feather in flat mortise makes little difference to the outcome). The transverse split is surely caused by the repeated cycles of the top face being put under tension by plucking the string.  Incipient splits that can’t yet be easily heard or felt can be caught by eye. Look for a mildly v-shaped discoloration of the top surface of the plectrum just forward of the tongue.  

Best,

Hendrik 

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