Straight-strung vs. Over-strung

[Doug Richards]

     Stephen,
     
     Great information!
     
     What is the source of your quotes?
     
     My vote would also be on the marketing aspect rather than acoustics.  
     Many things are designed or copied because of a perceived marketing 
     advantage of a product.  
     
     
     doug richards
     San Jose, CA


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Straight-strung vs. Over-strung
Author:  Stephen Birkett <birketts@wright.aps.uoguelph.ca> at SMTP
Date:    12/12/97 12:52 PM

     
... Well I think Julius (or Gretchen?, depends who wrote which bit) 
answered that in 1883. At the time, Herr Bluethner was making both over- 
and straight-strung, so he cannot be treated as a traditionalist ranting 
at new ideas. He said he chose the cross-strung for the examples in his 
Lehrbuch "because they were the more complicated and harder to make, 
however there is no evidence that they are superior and he hasn't observed 
the supposed advantages of the design". He went on to state that 
straight-strung are "much easier to design" and "simpler to make", and, 
"furthermore, it is possible to design a straight-strung piano with the 
same characteristics as an over-strung, *if one wished to do so*."...

... "Herrn Steinways have given the world the cross-strung, now we all are 
expected to make pianos like that. Toe the line or sink." 
     
     
Stephen
     
Stephen Birkett Fortepianos
Authentic Reproductions of 18th and 19th Century Pianos 
464 Winchester Drive 
Waterloo, Ontario
Canada N2T 1K5
tel: 519-885-2228
email: birketts@wright.aps.uoguelph.ca