<< the end of teh long bridge is suspended, resting on small "feet" that seem to be positioned over the ribs. I have attacged two picture of it. Now, why would this arrangemt be used and why only for the last part of the bridge? >> This arrangement is normal with Steinways. The reasoning is(I have been told), that the acoustical connection between the bridge and board is primarily through the ribs, (sound travels much faster and more efficiently along the grain than across it), perhaps why there are dowels from rib to bridge at every crossing. The cut-out sections supposedly allow greater flexibility of the board in the region where lower frequencies are produced while the contact between bridge and ribs is maintained by the doweled sections. In pursuit of a soundboard rattle, I once drove small wedges between these "feet" in the lower section of a bridge. It didn't cure the rattle, but the owner noticed a loss of tone above the bass break. I removed them and the tone was restored. So, the gap does SOMETHING. Regards, Ed Foote RPT www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/ www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html <A HREF="http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/399/six_degrees_of_tonality.html"> MP3.com: Six Degrees of Tonality</A>
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