List, Avery Todd wrote; (referring to a S&S Ds under his care) > Almost invariably, the low tenor is sharper than the rest, with it >basically decreasing as one goes up the scale, at least after the lowest >treble break. Then the bass is almost always right on. This tendency is typical, since the percentage of breaking strain is lower here than for other areas of the scale. Further, down bearing settings, which tend to sink out less at the bridge end points, can compound the problem. The actual (at pitch) down bearing angle can be excessive at the bridge ends. I believe the bridge ends should be setup with slightly less down bearing angle than for the centre of the bridge sections, which will tend to sink out more when strung. Steinway Ds are not alone in sharing the symptoms Avery describes. Yamaha CFs, Kawai EXs and others, also share the speaking length of the S&S D at note F21, ie. 183 cm. Why? I can't believe that this length is the answer to 'life the universe and everything'. Pianos such as the U1H Yamaha, scaled (on the long bridge) with two wound bichords adjacent to the bass/treble break, are even more of a problem. The last plain wire (F33) has a tension of only 65 Kg, while the bichord on note E32 is strung at 92 Kg. (A 35% change of breaking strain tension). This type of scaling regime (used by so many manufacturers) results in pianos which exhibit inferior tuning stability, while at the same time the tuner is left with the impossible task of blending the tenths and seventeenths with the fourths and fifths. Nothing fits as it should! Why do piano designers keep producing pianos with such inappropriate scales? Why should tuners have to battle with pianos which have such poor scale design? There are scaling answers to these problems. Why don't we identify them? Perhaps factory techs and designers might well benefit from a stint out on the road to experience some of the problems they inadvertently subject us to. Some of Carl Ronisch's scale designs (at the turn of the century) were way ahead of his time, while many popular modern designs appear to represent a considerable step backwards. Ron E. Overs Sydney, Australia Email: ron@overspianos.com.au Website: www.overspianos.com.au
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC