Steingraeber factory pictures, bridge agraffes & adjustablevertical hitchpins

[Delwin D Fandrich]

  _____  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Overs Pianos
Sent: May 03, 2006 2:25 PM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: Steingraeber factory pictures, bridge agraffes & adjustablevertical
hitchpins




[re the Dain agraffe]
Was interested to read that the agraffe on the Stiengraeber grand was a Dain
invention. It is a very good design, and superior to the Stuart agraffe, which
results in string noise without the silicon blocks that he uses. Mr Dain has
beaten me to the public domain with this one.


Ron O. 

 
It's been in the public domain for a long time, Ron. I worked with these devices

during the late 1980s and they were in the public domain then. There are patents
on 
these things dating back at least to the early 1900s. The earliest I have on
record is
from 1906 or something. I thought I was doing original work as well, but was
quickly 
put straight. Sigh...there's just so little that is truly new under the sun.
For anyone interested I've written about these devices in the past -- Should be
in 
the archives somewhere. Basically the theoretical explanation of how these
things 
are supposed control the vibrating modes of the strings to be at all convincing.
Like you, I did not find any evidence that they affected how the string vibrated

-- but then, I wasn't really looking for any change in vibrational patterns. 
Personally, I doubt the exact configuration makes much difference. As long as
they 
don't introduce their own contributions to string noises, of course. I found
that they 
did improve sustain but I'm pretty convinced that was the result of the
additional
mass they contributed to the system. There may be some slight improvement in 
coupling efficiency over the conventional bridge pin system but I doubt it's
much.
The biggest advantage to them will probably come down the road as I doubt the 
termination will develop as many problems as do conventional hitch pins. That,
and a 
general reduction in false beats which can probably also be attributed to the
increase 
in mass.
Del
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