Bridge Crown

[John Hartman]

Erwinspiano@aol.com wrote:
> 
>       Hey John
>   A very good pictoral demonstration of what effects the bridge is 
> having. I don't see any signs of cracks in the pictures. Why was this 
> board torn down? It had fairly healthy residual crown for a board for 
> an  East coast piano of this vintage. Was the tone suffering or did the 
> client simply want to start with a fresh board & every thing else& 
> optimum tonal performance? This is the first S&S board I've seen with 
> any crown left after it was seperated from the case
>     I also have an 1960 L ( calif. Piano) in the shop with very healthy 
> crown as well & it sounds great. It has about a 45 ft' crowm in the 
> shorter ribs about 60 to 70 ft. in the longer ones. Strings, finish & 
> action work. Easy rebuilding.
>   Thanks--Dale

Dale,

This job came to me through a technician. I will be doing just the 
board, block and strings. In arrived without the action so I couldn't 
evaluate the tonal condition. When I took the photos The humidity in the 
shop was about 60% or so. Now that the heat is on the crown of the 
original board is less impressive. There are a number of cracks in the 
panel that are not clear in the photo. I think the technician made a 
wise decision to replace after all this is a 1960s Steinway and there 
are plenty of compromises in the fit and finish else were. It is always 
best, in my experience, to replace the board in any Steinway over 40 
years old (except maybe real antique ones from the 1860s). This one was 
reasonable well preserved, I have seen newer ones with less crown left. 
The new board will have more rib crown and a bit more bridge crown.


John Hartman RPT

John Hartman Pianos
[link redacted at request of site owner - Jul 25, 2015]
Rebuilding Steinway and Mason & Hamlin
Grand Pianos Since 1979

Piano Technicians Journal
Journal Illustrator/Contributing Editor
[link redacted at request of site owner - Jul 25, 2015]