Square Grand Dampers

[Barrie Heaton]

In message <004201c3919b$f4324740$e22afea9@gamble>, Michael Gamble
<michael@gambles.fsnet.co.uk> writes
>Yes, Barrie, The dampers on old square pianos are indeed very small - but
>then the strings were not long and heavy and so the makers of these
>instruments used to follow the accepted design of the Harpsichord makers and
>use a simple piece of bushing cloth type material as a damper. The
>efficiency of Harpsichord dampers was not really an issue - inefficiency
>just added to the over-all power output which was very small by modern
>standards. This was still so in the early 1800s square pianos but the
>difference from Harpsichords is that the square had two strings per note
>whereas the Harpsichord only had one string per note per Register. One had
>simply to activate a second Register to increase the output (similar to the
>use of the U.C. pedal in a modern Grand). The oldest square piano I maintain
>is in a Museum and is made by Pohlman (fecit 1776) On this A = 392 (B =
>440).
>Regards
>Michael G (UK)

Indeed However, Terry Farrell was referring to a 7 foot string  form a
piano form 1880 which  if you look at the Viennese pianos form 1772
onwards the damping was quite good compared to a Broadwood of the same
time  and Erards underdamper grand pre 1880 worked very well they also
fitted them to over strung Grand till 1900 but they are not so good  and
a pain to work on

Returning to your post some large Harpsichords bottom mono cords are
longer and have more mass that the Square pianos of 1776 yet the damping
is good,  It is the position of the dampers that count more that size,
size is important but if placed in the wrong part of the string damping
is very poor of course you also have the plucking v striking  which also
makes Harpsichord damping less of a problem.


Regards


Barrie,
-- 
Barrie Heaton      PGP key on request           http://www.a440.co.uk/
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