On Jan 18, 2011, at 4:17 PM, Ron Nossaman wrote: > On 1/18/2011 4:59 PM, Ron Nossaman wrote: > >> That was my understanding, but I've been wrong plenty of times >> before, >> and may be misinformed. I know the one I sent the photo of was >> patented, >> and looks to me to be close enough to the Phoenix to qualify as prior >> art. Closer, in fact, than to the Stuart version. > > There it is. Just had to find it on the backup drive. > Ron N > <P_PIANO_AXBAFFE.pdf> Very interesting, thanks for posting it. Obviously it covers most of the design features of the Phoenix version (it is not as much like the Stuart). It is also interesting in that it proposes the invention as a less expensive and just as good system for terminating string lengths and coupling to the bridge. IOW, it was sold as a production element rather than a tone enhancement. As to whether the bridge agraffe "enhances" tone, that can be in the ear of the listener, but it seems clear that it changes the envelope, increases sustain. Whether or not that is desirable may depend on taste and situation, but I am happy to have another option available out there (or at least potentially available: the marketing folks don't seem to have done much about it so far). Regards, Fred Sturm fssturm at unm.edu http://www.createculture.org/profile/FredSturm
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC