Richard Brekne wrote: > What I am writing about is that the > underside of the sound board has a duplicate of the bridge attached > directly under the bridge. TONS of extra mass... and I suppose > stiffness... the whole length of the long bridge. > > Anyone seen this before and care to expound a bit on the roll this is > supposed to play and how well it does it ? It's normal for Grotrians. When they started doing it I don't know but certainly from 1905 to 1925, and that's just from two I have recent experience of, and the model 200 was probably continued till WW2 with the double bridge. There was a discussion about it not long ago and I even posted some photos. Rittmüller also produced pianos with a double bridge, and one with both a double bridge and a double soundboard, examples of both of which I have recently acquired. I don't mind if I never see another Grotrian. The 1925 model 200 we recently worked on had very little to recommend it and a thoroughly lousy action from Ernst Kohler or some minor firm. The really old ones were good. For some reason the Germans like them. JD
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