rear string lengths

[Erwinspiano@aol.com]

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In a message dated 12/7/2002 6:36:57 AM Pacific Standard Time,=20
sec@overspianos.com.au writes:

> .          Ron

                Your point about tuning stability is understood in these=20
types of designs is understood. The Mason AA( 6 ft 2 inch) are so rare I've=20
only seen four in my life. The early ones did have a seperate tenor bridge=20
with I think bi-chord trichord combination. I personally didn't care for tha=
t=20
sound as much as the one I own now but they were probably on the right track=
.=20
Tonally it's rare when these designs work this well as far as the crossover=20
from plain to the bi-chord and from the bi - chord across the bass break so=20
it's a pleasure to hear when they do. This AA and the Stwy A's have similar=20
designs that work as well as any tonally.
   As A rebuilder often working on existing designs that employ 20 note bass=
=20
sections I've had two small successes at the bass cross over. I was reminded=
=20
of it yeterday when I tuned a 60s Mason BB I restrung this year for the loca=
l=20
college. I've written this before but on the BB and the Stwy B where the=20
tension drops off so badly at the bass break I've added hitch pins to the=20
plate and used 3 unisons wrapped tri-chords which brings the tension up to=20
about 145 lbs per string and improves the blend from plain to wrap then cros=
s=20
the bass. It's an amazingly good transition. Usually trichords can have=20
falsness and tuning troubles but GC strings makes them very well and thus=20
clean sounding. Were any modifications made to the Boesendorfer in this area=
=20
that would be of interest?? Was it plain wire or wrapped strings there?
     I can hear Del groaning about the tri-chords all the way from Portland=20
and I usally dislike the use of them as well but so far I think I must be th=
e=20
only guy on the planet who's willing to try this.(no Del Probably has)  I=20
know David Love heard a Stwy B I did and thought it was a very good=20
improvement. The overall effect on the music played is wonderful as the soun=
d=20
of strings at 110 lbs ughh is gone and the coupled octves when played thru=20
the break is so much more....well musical and homogenous.
    The new 5-8 Mason has a couple bi-chords at the problem location
Yes My point is that at least if the worlds Makers are going to continue thi=
s=20
design on longer instruments the use of really well made tri-chords in this=20
area would keep us from nashing our collective teeth.(some times) On the=20
shorter ones bi-chords are effective. Until then I'll fix them when I can.
    Thanks for the post and the measurement data.
           Regards
            Dale

>=20
> Regarding your point about the Mason 6' having a decent cross regardless o=
f=20
> the bichord covered scaling on the lower end of the treble bridge, I take=20
> your point. But crossover tone is perhaps more heavily influenced by the=20
> proximity of the bridge ends to the rim, than by scaling factors. While=20
> poor scaling can contribute to a problem crossover, it is more likely to=20
> effect tune-ability than cross over tone. A case in point is the B=F6endor=
fer=20
> 6'7". We've just completed a rebuild of a 20 year old example and the cros=
s=20
> over tone is quite satisfactory, although the scale is a bit of a mess=20
> since it runs down to B27 on the long bridge with plain wire (like many=20
> other 200 cm pianos which shouldn't follow suit). I haven't really looked=20
> closely at the 6' Masons, though I saw a 7' piano at Reno.
> =20
>=20
> Ron O.
> --=20
>=20


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