1 string, 2 strings, 3 strings or more

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Overs Pianos" <sec@overspianos.com.au>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: September 18, 2001 4:30 PM
Subject: Re: 1 string, 2 strings, 3 strings or more


>
> >. . . Without changing any bridges or anything, a perfectly
> >acceptable break can be achieved on any reasonable-sized grand or
> >upright simply through good string scaling
>
> Can't agree. There are pianos which have such a poor choice of sound
> board area or bridge placement or both, that string scaling alone
> will not fix the tonal problems. Del alluded to this in an earlier
> post on this thread.

Scaling alone will not solve the bass/tenor transition of the S&S Model B.
Nor will putting a few bi-chord unisons on the low end of the tenor bridge,
though it is certainly a couple of steps in the right direction. It really
requires a transition bridge. We've tried them all.



>
> >There are, of course, cases where I would love to reshape the long
> >bridge if the job would stand it, but if a piano has lasted 100
> >years sounding good with a less than perfectly shaped bridge, I
> >reckon it deserves to carry on for another 100 or so without losing
> >its defects of character.

Depends on whether or not those defects of character are audibly offensive
to the musician. If they are I see no reason for it to carry on for another
100 years offending the very folks it's supposed to be pleasing when a new
bridge(s) and some revised scaling can solve most of the problem.

Del