List, Does anyone have any ideas about why so few manufacturers use open face pin blocks? Cost is a major factor, of course. Leo Duricic of Bechstein says that it takes a master craftsman 11 hours to fit a block in an open face plate vs. 3 for the closed face. However, precision robotic manufacturing techniques such as those used by Yamaha and others should be capable of greatly narrowing that difference. Leo also says that the closed type produces more power, which is why their concert size instruments recently switched to that design. I don't buy that. Bechstein invariably uses agraffes in the entire scale with open face blocks but is now using a capo bar with the closed blocks in their concert instruments. I think that this a more likely factor in power production. Bosendorfer, which pairs open face blocks with a capo bar, agrees. Are there any other performance or design considerations that might lead manufacturers away from open face blocks? Paul Larudee
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