[pianotech] Worst Bass/Tenor Crossover in Universe

[Ron Nossaman]

On 1/10/2013 7:47 AM, Encore Pianos wrote:
> I wasn't asking the question of adding bearing to this particular system, I
> understand that it is designed to work with little or no bearing.

Not little or no bearing, no bearing at all. Quoting Stuart (nearly as I 
recall the exact wording): "No crown, no bearing. Doesn't need them"


> When I spoke of adding an agraffe bridge to
> a conventional board, I was thinking of CC boards, rib crowned boards, or R,
> C, & S boards.

Yes, I understood that.


>So my question
> really was, could an agraffe bridge be added to any of these systems and be
> equal or superior to that same design with a conventionally notched and
> pinned bridge, as well as be an improvement over what we have heard from
> agraffe bridge designs in prior art?

Superior by what criteria? By the time you deal with the added mass and 
the added string height of the current agraffe designs, you have a 
considerably different system. The only way to answer the question is to 
spend the time and money and try it.


> There may not be complete consensus on how we want a board to perform, but
> there are many things within that many of us would agree upon.

And at least as many, in my experience, that many of us would not. A lot 
would depend not so much on what was observed and evaluated, but on who 
said or evaluated it.


>I'm not sure
> that consensus is necessary or at all times desirable, I like the idea of
> many flavors.  For most of us, our beliefs and prejudices of what
> constitutes good piano tone are heavily influenced by what has come before,
> and how "good" piano tone has related to performance.

Then you're fine with the flavor of tone quality the Stuarts produce.


> It has been argued by some that the only thing that gives the Stuart its
> sustain is the mass of those agraffes.  :-)

Gee, you think? I know I've been saying it since I first saw one. The 
soundboard assembly certainly doesn't have enough stiffness to support it.
Ron N