A tenor bridge conversion

[Frank Emerson]

>"I too believe that at least some of the high-end manufacturers didn't choose to use hockey-stick bridges because they wanted to save on a few extra >bass strings."

I have designed a number of pianos for a number of manufacturers, and the number of wound strings has never been an issue.  If you make your own bass strings, it doesn't add that much to the cost of the piano.
 
>IMHO, not that I don't think most manufacturers are looking to cut costs, but I think the main reason you don't see more notes on the bass bridge is >strictly marketing - a smaller bridge with fewer wound strings looks sexier and looks more like a concert grand. I have to agree that some small pianos - >like the Baldwin micro grand that Del had a hand in - that have several octaves on the bass bridge have a "clunky" look to them - I don't think they look >nearly as sexy as a piano with a smaller bass section - BUT THEY SOUND MUCH BETTER! I think the salesperson can sell a small piano with a >small bass bridge more easily because they can point out to the shopper that "this piano is scaled after the famous concert grand, etc., etc."

Well .......... I, too, had a hand in this particular Baldwn model as well.  The number of notes on the bass bridge had nothing to do with its eventual market success.

>From the point of view of a rebuilder, a transition bridge makes a lot of sense.  The number of notes on the bass bridge is predetermined.  At the design level, when you can readily change the number of notes in the bass section, it is another story, entirely.  Some designers would say that you put as many notes as you can, with plain wire, on the treble bridge, Whatever is left, you put, as wound strings, on the bass bridge.  

Frank Emerson
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