Bass strings changing scale

[John Delacour]

At 1:16 PM -0600 12/1/01, Ron Nossaman wrote:

>  >There will always be one large step in the tension curve where
>>singles pass to bichords.  Wolfenden recommended what I regard as too
>>small a jump,  Ron Nossaman et al talk of what I regard as an
>>unnecessarily large jump, but it will depend on a number of factors.
>
>Among them, whether you are talking about individual string tension, or
>unison tension. I blend unison tension, inharmonicity, and impedance across
>the transition to what I consider a quite pleasing result.

I ought to have added that Lipp and Brinsmead, two of my greatest 
makers, probably tend to your way of thinking with tensions over 310 
lbf. in the top single and a big fall to the bichords, but even on 
these I tend to lighten the bass scale somewhat and get more life in 
the bass.  Curiously, though the two firms are quite unrelated and 
their pianos of very different design, both have a certain magic and 
extraordinary resonance in the soundboard that is very rare.  Both 
have a good crown on the board and both finish the boards to a 
wonderfully deep lustre.  The general character of both is very 
powerful and rich, but I find the bass slightly plummy and lacking 
the brilliance of the piano as a whole.  I think there was a fashion 
for a long time for the warm round plummy bass typified by the 
Blüthner and I guess the makers were responding to this taste while 
all the while wishing people would love a lighter brighter bass with 
better attack.  It's very much a question of the age and the place. 
Much has been made over the years of the difference between the 
European sound and the American sound, but it seems to me these have 
reversed position maybe several times in the course of a century. 
What the current difference is I have no idea and I imagine recorded 
music has narrowed the gap for ever, but we're none of us quite 
immune to the Zeitgeist.

Can you explain, preferably with some numbers, what you mean by 
"impedance across
the transition", how you measure it.

JD