20 tons of tension

[Clyde Hollinger]

Friends:

As I was tuning a late model Schimmel studio piano today I noticed it
had no back posts, really no back at all that I could see, other than
the soundboard and ribs.

Which got me to wondering -- how much of the 20 tons of tension is
usually on the back and how much is on the plate?  Only once before did
I see a vertical piano without back posts, an old upright.  I also
remember about 20 years ago a salesman pointing out the rather thick
back posts on Everett studio pianos as an indication of their high
quality (I knew much less about pianos then than I do now).  How
important are those posts really?

Clyde Hollinger (who is getting tired of adding RPT Lititz PA)