Phil, I'm working on a 1911 S&S "O" with alternating laminations of maple and mahogany. There are 13 lams with the maple being about 3mm and the mahg. about 1mm. The center lamination of mahg. may actually be a double width.The bridge on a 1942 model "S" in the shop is all maple 9 laminations. I have a model "A" in progress but it is away at the refinisher and I don't recall its construction. Mark Ritchie Thu, 23 Aug 2001 23:25:54 0000 From: "Phillip L Ford" <fordpiano@lycos.com> Subject: Steinway laminated bridges Ron, I seem to have lost my copy of the previous e-mail, which was about the materials used in Steinway bridges, all maple, or maple and other (mahogany being the most likely conjecture). I checked an 1890s B and 1890s C and both have the mix of maple and other. I recently re-whatevered a 1930s A and recapped the bridge. Since I must have been staring at the bare naked laminations for some hours you'd think it would have made an impression on me but apparently not enough of one. I'm not sure if it was all maple or not. The more I think about it the more convinced I am that it was all maple. Since you say you checked a 1920s piano that was all maple I wonder if a transition took place between 1900 and 1920 or so. I have a 1910s O in the shop which is not accessible at the moment (my shop is not as neat and organized as it might be) and it would be interesting to check that one. I also have a 1920s M and 1930s A coming into the shop in the next couple of weeks so I can also check those. I suppose one of us could call Steinway and ask, but that's sort of like reading the instructions to your VCR, it takes all the challenge out of it. Phil - --- Phillip Ford Piano Service & Restoration 1777 Yosemite Ave San Francisco, CA 94124
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