A tenor bridge conversion

[ed440 at mindspring.com]

Frank and Del-

For purposes of this discussion, most of us on this list would agree that a tenor bridge or extended bass bridge would give a better transition.  What we wonder is: why do manufacturers continue to produce pianos with "hockey stick" bridges?

Since you both have insider's experience in the commercial factory design process, perhaps you can tell us why manufacturers repeatedly make what seems, from our small shop viewpoint, to be a poor decision.

Thanks!

Ed Sutton

-----Original Message-----
>From: Delwin D Fandrich <fandrich at pianobuilders.com>
>Sent: Jan 24, 2007 1:33 PM
>To: pianoguru at earthlink.net, 'Pianotech List' <pianotech at ptg.org>
>Subject: RE: A tenor bridge conversion
>
> 
>
>
>  _____  
>
>From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
>Frank Emerson
>Sent: January 23, 2007 9:57 PM
>To: Pianotech List
>Subject: Re: A tenor bridge conversion
>
>
> 
>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.
>
>It did during the period from roughly 1880 through at least the 1920s when most
>of these pianos were designed.
> 
>
> 
>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. 
>
>The choice of 32 bass unisons was made so that the tenor bridge could avoid the
>foreshortening curve typical with most "modern" pianos, especially small pianos.
> 
>Historically the foreshortened tenor bridge was a result of too few unisons
>wrapped string unisons being used. And, if the transition between the wrapped
>unisons is going to be made where good scaling practice dictates, the choice
>comes down to either putting them in the separate bass section or putting some
>of them on a transition bridge.
> 
>
> 
>>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 
>
>In short to medium length pianos there is much to be said for the use of
>transition bridges. With good string and rib scaling they can further reduce the
>timbre changes across the transition between the plain steel string and wrapped
>string and the transition between the bass section and the tenor section.
> 
>Del