floating the soundboard

[John Delacour]

At 10:53 +0200 13/5/08, Stéphane Collin wrote:

>"... Treble... echoing round the rim..." is exactly how I would describe the
>sound on the floating treble pianos I crossed.
>Also, the amount and the aesthetic quality of the after ring is amazing on
>those (of course, partly because of the smaller dampers, but even with
>dampers lift, the reaction of the whole belly + strings to a single note in
>treble can be, well, magical or rather common).

Exactly.  The effect can be quite exceptional when the pedal is down.

>I suppose that this has to do with the fact that the energy input into the
>treble is not kept for long sustain, but more generously spent in the belly,
>leaving the sustain thing to the after ring things.  Does this make sense ?

I think so, yes.  Both Bechstein and G&K stuck with the heavy 
overhanging studs in the treble while other makers switched to the 
cast-in pressure bar or, chez Bösendorfer, to a separate cast bar. 
Lipp and others also continued to use studs, though the Lipp 
soundboard is glued to the rim.  This was obviously a choice that 
they considered better; they did not want the Steinway quality of 
treble.  One can also mention Érard's "barre harmonique" as a stage 
in the development of the treble tone, seen here as implemented, with 
ordinary light studs, in a pre-modern (low tension) Kirkman:
<http://pianomaker.co.uk/kirkman12521/>
Clarity, purity and carrying power were the aims of all makers in the 
ever-problematic extreme treble as the piano developed.  Different 
solutions define these qualities in different ways and risk different 
hazards if things are not quite right -- for example the Bechstein 
treble can "scream", which would not be seen by most of us as 
desirable.

JD