A tenor bridge conversion

[Calin Tantareanu]

 Ed,

I can't remember the break in the Mason A. I just remember playing the BB,
and that one was impressive.
As for the Bechstein C from 1953, it's hardly a small instrument. It's a
semi-concert grand at around 230cm length :-)
I doubt it was designed after the war. It's more likely that they continued
with the design they built before, simplifying the plate ornamentation and
case details.

Calin Tantareanu
http://calin.haos.ro
--------------------

> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org 
> [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of ed440 at mindspring.com
> Sent: marţi, 23 ianuarie 2007 23:54
> To: Pianotech List
> Subject: RE: A tenor bridge conversion
> 
> Calin-
> 
> The Mason and Hamlin A is a small piano that never fully 
> resolved the bass break design.  Today I tuned a new M & H A, 
> which has a hockey stick with two wound bichords on the end.  
> I suppose we could call the transition its "Achilles' heel," 
> but it is a lovely piano.  I'd take it home any day.
> 
> With a bit of voicing the transition "bump" is only 
> noticeable in certain ff passages with aggressive scalework.  
>  The mother plays Classical, Romantic and Impressionist 
> repertoire and has no problem.  The daughter plays Rock and 
> Praise music and complains about the second bichord note!
> 
> As for the 1953 Bechstein, it's amazing they were able to get 
> back in business and build anything, don't you think?  It's a 
> small piano designed for a post-war recovering economy.
> 
> Ed Sutton
> 
> 
> Calin wrote:
> . But when you play a decent old Bechstein (as opposed to
> >checking individual notes and stuff) you seldom are 
> disturbed by problems at
> >the break. I'm not saying they aren't there, just that they 
> are not obvious
> >during playing.
> > 
> >What Bechstein achieved better than most (in their older 
> pianos) is the
> >crystalline singing quality of the tenor and treble range, 
> which is rarely
> >surpassed. And don't forget that it's there where most of 
> the music gets
> >played. 
> > 
> >I hope that Ron Overs was able to retian that special 
> Bechstein tone in his
> >rebuild. Please keep sending pictures and maybe a recording 
> when the piano
> >is finished.
> > 
> >Calin Tantareanu
> >http://calin.haos.ro <http://calin.haos.ro/> 
> >-------------------- 
> >
> > 
> >
> >
> >  _____  
> >
> >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org 
> [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
> >Of alan forsyth
> >Sent: marţi, 23 ianuarie 2007 01:22
> >To: Pianotech List
> >Subject: Re: A tenor bridge conversion
> >
> >
> > ... 
> >As to why the manufacturers did it their way, I can only 
> assume that it was
> >to keep the harmonics in line as far down the scale as was 
> possible. No
> >matter how well a scale is designed there will always be a 
> noticeable change
> >in the harmonic content of the sound as soon as you reach 
> the bass crossover
> >point i.e. the change from plain strings to wound strings.
> > 
> >AF
> > 
> > ... 
> >
> 
>