64” JD Berry Taipan string length

[Matt Quick]

I recently picked up a 64” Taipan but the string that came with it appears too short. I’ve got the string twisted out as far as I can and the bow braces over 7-1/2”. I’m thinking it should be closer to 6-3/4” bh?  What actual length string should I run on this bow?
Thanks

[Orion]

I have a 64-inch Taipan.  Strange as it may seem, a 62-inch string yields a 6 3/4-inch brace height.

[Matt Quick]

Sounds good. Thanks!

[LBR]

For what it's worth, the AMO bow length is SUPPOSED to be 3" longer than the string that puts it at proper brace, i.e. a 64" bow is supposed to get a 61" string (longbow, recurve, flatbow...doesn't matter).  The string is supposed to be measured under a 100# load.  Unfortunately there are still lots of bowyers and lots of string makers that don't follow these simple rules, and it makes for a lot of confusion.  'Course there's always a chance that someone goofed and put the wrong string with that bow, but if bows and strings were measured and labeled correctly, that would be one less thing to worry with.

[Matt Quick]

Thanks Chad. Good info.

[Orion]

You're right, of course, Chad.  I don't stretch my strings under tension.  I let the bow do that.  Regardless, the string of which I speak is a well shot in D-97.  If it were at the AMO standard of 61 inches, I'm sure the brace would be close to 8 inches.

I dunno. Maybe that's where J.D. would want the brace height.  Doesn't deal with brace height on his web site, and i haven't asked him.  However, for my tastes 6 3/4 -- 7 inches is plenty high.  The bow looks and shoots good at that brace, so that's where I'm keeping it.  And a 62-inch string is what does it. BTW, the Taipan is a fairly aggressive R/D longbow; the tips don't quite make it back to even with the back of the riser in its unstrung profile. 

Matt:  How long is the string that came with your bow, and what does it brace your Taipan at?   

[Matt Quick]

The string that came with the bow is 59”. Braces at 7-3/4. I’ve been working with a 61” string and looks like that will work.

[JRY309]

Normally I make my strings 3" shorter then AMO for recurves and longbows,but I think I remember on my Taipan it was 2" shorter then AMO.Maybe it was the design of the bow.I braced mine at 7".

[Orion]

Matt:  I'm surprised the brace is only 7 3/4 with a 59-inch string.  Are you measuring it off the bow with the loops elongated and flattened?  Is it dacron?  It would tend to stretch when put on the bow.

As noted earlier, my experience parallels JRYs.

[LBR]

Didn't mean to direct anything at you Orion--sorry if it came across that way.

Bow design doesn't have anything to do with it's AMO length.  It's written kinda' weird, but it boils down to the string determines the bow's AMO length.  The actual physical length of the bow has nothing to do with it...i.e. the bow could physically measure 80", but if a 59" string puts it at the correct brace height then that is a 62" AMO bow.  Makes it confusing when you are trying to figure out the physical length for a blind or tight spot, but makes life much easier when you want to put a new string on it...IF it's marked correctly.  I've suggested to some bowyers that, if they aren't going to mark the bow length correctly, then add something like "ASL" (for "Actual String Length").  In some cases you'd think I had talked dirty about their grandma...   'Course as a string maker I'm a bit biased, but I thought that it would be doing the customer a favor by making it easy to figure out what length string you need for a particular bow.  That's what I get for thinking...

Here's a link to the specs if anyone wants to read up on it.  Page 2 under "Conventional Bow Length Standard".  http://www.outlab.it/doc/amostd.pdf

[Matt Quick]

The string that came on the bow is Dacron.

[Orion]

Matt:  That accounts for some of the difference I expected.  The dacron will stretch (from it's unstrung length) when strung, though it would have to stretch quite a bit to yield only a 7 3/4-inch brace height rather than higher.  A "59-inch" string on a 64-inch bow should yield a very high brace height.

Chad:  No offense taken.  I should have clarified.  I'm familiar with the AMO standard. This just seems to be an example of your observation that bowyers don't always mark their bows to AMO standards.  Matt's and my bows, and JRY's, are all marked 64 inches, but they take strings that are longer than 61 inches. By AMO standards we have 65-inch bows.

That's why I started my first answer with "Strange as it may seem,..." A nod to the fact that it didn't comply with the AMO standard.

[Bladepeek]

Didn't mean to direct anything at you Orion--sorry if it came across that way.

Bow design doesn't have anything to do with it's AMO length.  It's written kinda' weird, but it boils down to the string determines the bow's AMO length.  The actual physical length of the bow has nothing to do with it...i.e. the bow could physically measure 80", but if a 59" string puts it at the correct brace height then that is a 62" AMO bow.  Makes it confusing when you are trying to figure out the physical length for a blind or tight spot, but makes life much easier when you want to put a new string on it...IF it's marked correctly.  I've suggested to some bowyers that, if they aren't going to mark the bow length correctly, then add something like "ASL" (for "Actual String Length").  In some cases you'd think I had talked dirty about their grandma...   'Course as a string maker I'm a bit biased, but I thought that it would be doing the customer a favor by making it easy to figure out what length string you need for a particular bow.  That's what I get for thinking...

Here's a link to the specs if anyone wants to read up on it.  Page 2 under "Conventional Bow Length Standard".  http://www.outlab.it/doc/amostd.pdf

I'm with Chad all the way. I have two bows out of the 7 I own which have both the AMO length and the ASL marked on them. Both follow AMO standards - 3" less string length than the AMO length, but even if they didn't and the string were missing, it is easy to order a new string and not have to wonder if you're getting it right. The other bows are 50% AMO correct and the others are all over the map as far as AMO marked.

The bows, by the way, are from Java Man and Matt Meacham. Thanks guys. Makes life easier for old men.

[alex321]

Apparently James recommends 6 3/4" brace height for the Taipan.

[mec lineman]

this has nothing to do with string length, but the Taipan is one good shooting bow!! I totally agree, i dont need to know how long my bow is. i need to know how long the string needs to be to bring to proper brace.  ASL for president!