[CAUT] Killer Octave... so what ?

[Richard Brekne]

All this seems to fit perfectly with my experience with this instrument, 
and what I <<think>> I have learned from all these discussions through 
the years thanks to likes of Nossaman, Over, Del... and those others 
whome have come and gone along the way. 

It also fits with my present project that is finally nearing 
completion... the old Bluthner.  For those of you who are interested... 
I provide a picture of the back side of the original soundboard below. 
With lines drawn to points where temporary stiffness has been added for 
diagnostics that has improved the fullness of the sound to a very large 
degree.  It raises questions in my mind about what happens to other 
areas (other then the killer octave region) of the instrument when the 
panel has too little stiffness relative to the string plane.

Cheers
RicB


    Right. We always talk about stiffness compromised treble sections in
    terms
    of sustain, but it is interesting to note that on many historical pianos
    with very light scales and similarly light weight, often older and not
    terribly stiff assemblies, the sustain in the upper areas seems quite
    adequate. The lower tension scales definitely have their own
    character but,
    as has been argued many times, when the scale (and accompanying
    downbearing)
    matches the soundboard assembly and with it you put a hammer of
    appropriate
    weight/density/resilience, good things can happen. It's the mismatch
    between
    those three components either by poor execution, design or change
    over time
    that most often creates tonal problems--all other things being equal, of
    course--and reduced to the simplest terms. At least that's my
    observation.


    David Love
    davidlovepianos at comcast.net
    www.davidlovepianos.com


     > Lower tension scales need lighter boards and vice versa.  If the
    board is
     > compromised somewhat in terms of stiffness, why wouldn't reducing the
     > tensions help somewhat?
     >
     > David Love

    Tension, and resulting bearing load, yes.
    Ron N

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