Why do some pianos have the bass bridge connected to the longbridge?

[Calin Tantareanu]

Hi Ed!

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <A440A@aol.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2005 11:13 PM
Subject: Re: Why do some pianos have the bass bridge connected to the 
longbridge?


> Greetings,
>   Umm,  this is my shade-tree thinking on the subject:
> The continuous bridge does several things.
>    It creates a more direct connection between the strings of the bass and
> the treble bridge.  This allows a more direct sympathetic activation of 
> all
> unstruck strings when the damper pedal is depressed, thus making more 
> efficient
> use of the energy in the struck string, ie,  the struck strings' energy 
> travels
> via the maple bridge to the other bridge without having to travel into the
> soundboard, the ribs then over to the other bridge.

But this seems rather odd, because it very much depends on what notes get 
played and their location on the bridge. If the highest note from the bass 
bridge is supposed to send its vibration to the tenor bridge too, the 
shortest way would be via the soundboard and ribs, not via the end of the 
bass bridge which is far away...

>    It is a stiffer bridge, since the triangulation principle is in effect.
> A stiffer bridge creates more sustain.

As Ron said, it's a tradeoff between low bass and low tenor. They seem to 
connect 2 areas with very different stiffness needs. Doesn't make so much 
sense to me.

 Calin Tantareanu
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