more bridge design

[Farrell]

I would not be surprised to find that mass is a serious consideration for the bass bridge in a big Bozy. I remember looking at the bass bridge on a big Bozy at one of the Annual PTG Conventions and thinking that the bridge was about the size of an average baseball bat. It was HUGE!

But then, even if you are building a small piano, you want it to look as much like a big Bozy as is possible. No?

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jonathan Finger" <johann@tollidee.com>
To: "'Pianotech'" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2003 10:56 AM
Subject: RE: more bridge design


Hello David,

 

I think the high end manufacturer you're thinking of is Bösendorfer.  I
would imagine that less mass in the bass bridge equals a cleaner
transfer of energy from the string to the soundboard, but I'm certainly
no authority on the subject.

 

Jonathan Finger RPT

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On
Behalf Of Dave Nereson
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2003 2:43 AM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: more bridge design

 

    I've noticed on some large grands (I forget which make), the bass
bridge will have several large holes drilled through it.  I'm not sure
why -- I imagine it's to reduce the mass for some reason -- maybe so the
soundboard isn't "burdened" with a large block of wood riding on it.
Yet, the necessary downward pressure of the strings is also a humongous
burden.   If I'm not mistaken, this is found only in high quality
concert grands, or maybe only in one make.   But a few weeks ago, I saw
the same feature in an Eavestaff minipiano.  This is a little oddball
spinet, British company, but made in the U.S. by Hardman, Peck & Co.,
New York.  [I don't know if Hardman made them under contract with
Eavestaff or if they made only the ones sold stateside.]  It was hell to
work on, and I hope I never see another one.  But the bass bridge had
holes drilled through it just like the Bosendorfer Imperial or whoever
it is that uses that feature. 

    Now here the violin bridge analogy may come in again -- i.e., the
bridge is not a solid block of wood, but has as many "holes", or open
spaces in it as possible.

    Does anybody know which large grand it is that has the holey bass
bridge and what the reason for the holes is?    --David Nereson, RPT,
Denver