Standard Pitch 1870 to Present

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Delacour" <JD@Pianomaker.co.uk>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: September 18, 2001 9:14 AM
Subject: Re: Standard Pitch 1870 to Present


> >So I have a square I am restringing. I also have a 1900
> >Bechstein that I will be restringing. Is my Bechstein an older piano?
Yes.
> >Is it modern? Looks modern also to me.
>
> It's modern and it needs stringing with proper cast steel wire. Bechstein
> is a maker, like Steinway, who never went for very high tensions.

Interesting. The last Bechstein we did was a 200 cm piano from the early
1900s. Its o/a scale tension was around 44,000 or 45,000 lbs (approx. 20,200
kgf). I would call that relatively high for a piano of this size. But then,
I'm not particularly a fan of high-tension scales so my definition of a
high-tension scale may vary from yours.


>
> In spite of what Ron writes, I have never come across any evidence to
> support the myth that high tension means more power.  On the contrary I
> have rescaled the bass section of numberless pianos whose sound was dull
> and lifeless simply through excessive tension.  A lighter, more "usual"
> scaling completely transforms them and if anything lends more
> power.

Power depends on a lot of things. Among them the physical aspects of the
rim, the bridges, the soundboard and the ribs. We have observed over the
past few years an increase in the scale tensions applied to the modern piano
to compensate for the flexibility of the modern piano rim and the stiffness
of the modern piano soundboard. Hence the statement that high-tension scales
are used to produce more power.


>
> Steinway's detractors in the early days (1867 etc) complained that
> the Americans were intent solely on volume of sound and "powerfulness" and
> the Steinway was indeed a very powerful instrument; and yet examination of
> the scale of any Steinway will quite clearly show that high tensions are
> never used -- if anything the tension in the bichords for example is
> exceptionally low.  In my opinion the old Steinways have both exceptional
> power and exceptional richness of tone.  One of their main detractors was,
> of course, Broadwood, and Broadwood's was one firm that certainly later
> fell into the high tension trap -- if any rule at all can be detected in
> Broadwood's myriad designs.  One thing is for certain - high tension never
> did any favours for the English makers. The great Brinsmead achieved
> incredible power and quality of tone by using regular tensions on a
> properly built framing with a properly thought-out soundboard and rib
pattern.

An interesting summary of early scaling practices. Still, I do consider the
typical 45,000 to 46,000 lb (20,400 to 20,900 kgf) scale tensions used in
the Steinway D to be quite high. But then, as I've said above, I'm not a
real fan of high-tension scales.

Del