Was Cracked plates: Now V-bar

[Rob Kiddell]

> From:          hoplandr@cadvision.com (Ray Hopland)
>
>         I would also like to throw out this idea to the list.  I read an
> article in the journal quite a while back about a Steinway that a tech had
> the Vee bar tempered.  The piano above had a constant problems with broken
> strings so I had a very good welder temper the Vee bar with a Tig welder, I
> asked him to apply heat but no material.  When I got the plate back in the
> shop, I dressed the Vee bar down with a stone as a file would not touch it.
> After that there was never a broken string and the tone improved greatly.
> Is longtitudal motion as important latitudal motion, I think when the Vee
> bar gets grooved, does it impedes the longtitudal motion of the string?
>
> Regards,
> Ray Hopland RPT

Greetings Ray & list,

	This tempering of the V bar is something that I have been musing
with on some new Baldwin grands that we have received from the
factory. The notes on the v-bar in the treble sections have a sharp
metallic twang on a mezzo to forte blow immediately on the attack,
and with a quick decay time, where the duplex harmonics take over (or
are at least more audible). Muting the duplex alleviates the noise
somewhat, as does moving the string positioning on the v-bar. Hammer
voicing doesn't remove the metallic twang, it just minimizes it as
the hammer tone is reduced in  brilliance.
	I've come roundabout to a theory that the v-bar is *too soft*, as
the strings on a new instrument have started penetrating into the
v-bar (nice little grooves where the strings were seated), and the
hammers in that section were juiced from factory more than any other
section (with the exception of the top treble).
	Ray, I'm coming down to the Wednesday 19 meeting  at the Baldwin store
in Calgary, I'd like to discuss this with you there, if we could.
Anyone else (Kent Webb, are you listening?) please feel free to chime
in.

Regards,



>
>
Rob Kiddell
R.P.T., P.T.G.
C.A.P.T. Student
Edmonton, Canada
http://www.planet.eon.net/~atonal/atonal.html