[pianotech] New stuff at the convention?

[William Truitt]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I was of the impression that the
Steingraeber Phoenix that was displayed at the convention had a carbon fiber
composite soundboard. I wasn't able to attend this year, so I didn't get to
hear a piano that I am very curious about.  How did the sound of this piano
compare with a piano with a conventional spruce soundboard?  I would love to
have the reactions of some good ears - the good, the bad, and the ugly.  And
hopefully from some who were able to hear it with a reasonable measure of
quiet.  Be as descriptive of the tone as you can.

And Ron, is your concern that the too shorter bridge will lack even more
stiffness than the already too short one? If that bridge could be stiffened
adequately by some other means, would that be enough to mollify your
concerns?

Will Truitt


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Ron Nossaman
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 5:23 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] New stuff at the convention?

Mark Purney wrote:
> Here are my reasons for all the fuss - I can't speak for anyone else:
> 
> 1. More power and better dynamic range is more appealing to the pianist 
> than less power and range.

Is that with just the agraffes on an otherwise typical 
soundboard, or agraffes on the carbon composite board?


  > Are there any downsides, beyond the fact it will cost more?

One that I can think of off the top. The already too short (in 
a lot of cases) high treble bridge will have to be another 4mm 
or so shorter to accommodate the agraffe. Why didn't the piano 
with the conventional soundboard have agraffes in the top 
section? I wonder.

Also, how many of you have added the rough equivalent of the 
total agraffe mass to a conventional bridge top and listened?

Ron N