---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Hi Ron, > D30 is the lowest plain strung note on this piano, which is a better=20= > place to break on a piano of this length, but no manufacturer today=20 > has the courage to do it. I have read you (and probably Del) present this idea before, but I=20 can't figure that one out. Courage in front of whom? With what? Some=20 others have suggested scrutiny from whomever (public or technicians),=20 but I really just don't buy that. We're not talking about making a=20 piano out of rotting particle board. I have no doubt some people are strong minded in opposition to change,=20= it's always that way! I'm sure you'll can pull up some comments from=20 such as these. But I also have little doubt it is a minority, and I=20 have difficulty believing companies such as Steinway or Mason and=20 Hamlin are simply too afraid of what people will think. Plus, I have a Steinway L and I think the break sounds quite good in=20 comparison to some other nice pianos I've listened to which don't break=20= near the bflat (such as a Steinway B or Baldwin SD10). Please tell me it's deeper than this :-) - John > Alan and all, > > At 7:21 PM -0700 7/8/04, Alan Forsyth wrote: > > It is a Steinway. This one has the third bridge. What amazes me is=20 > that the speaking length of the=A0first wound string in the tenor, C=20= > sharp 29, is about 13 inches shorter than its neighbouring plain=20 > string. > > That's because this Steinway (early O) was a serious attempt at=20 > building a quality piano in this size. With their later instruments,=20= > it would seem that the serious endeavour transformed into one of=20 > making a buck. Note that these early pianos have very thick rim=20 > sections for a piano of this size. In an effective scale design the=20 > speaking length must be shortened between the last plain strings and=20= > the first covers (as they are on this piano). D30 is the lowest plain=20= > strung note on this piano, which is a better place to break on a piano=20= > of this length, but no manufacturer today has the courage to do it.=20 > Most 'designers' are still stuck on note C28 - Bfl26 as the lowest=20 > plain strung treble note. Try it on the scaling sheet. It can't and=20 > doesn't work. > > =A0The bass break starts at note E20. > > Indeed. But in this piano the real break is at C#29/D30. However the=20= > first few covered notes on the tenor bridge are also trichords. These=20= > should be ditched and the piano re-scaled so that it has bichords from=20= > E20 right through to C#29. The suspended bass bridge needs to go as=20 > well. The speaking length on A1 will need to be reduced to about 135=20= > cm from the original 140. Inner rims don't make good sound boards. > > This model had a compression crowned board with quite shallow=20 > soundboard ribs, and they mostly are collapsed. These pianos would be=20= > a good candidates for rescaling and redesigning the sound board (while=20= > keeping the tenor bridge). Actually its the only six foot length piano=20= > which is worth remanufacturing (all manufacturers included). > > =A0 As you can now see the capo bar is only in the treble. The tenor = and=20 > bass has the agraffes which made the piano an absolute pig to tune.=20 > The strings kept jumping back into the kink created by the agraffes. > > Poor rendering is common with these pianos. However, the problem is=20 > that the understring felt is binding with the strings, making=20 > rendering almost impossible. When destringing these pianos, try=20 > running your finger along the underside of the original strings (which=20= > look shiny and clean underneath). You'll notice that there are very=20 > small rough spots on the wire. These cause the strings to bind on the=20= > understring felt. I hold designs where the counterbearng segments are=20= > bearing hard on the understring felt in low regard. The Bechsteins=20 > with their very wide felt bearings become a tuners nightmare when they=20= > get older. When restringing pianos with this type of layout, we fit a=20= > counterbearing bar between the tuning pin fields and the felt. If the=20= > bar is set to take most of the load off the understring felt the=20 > rendering will be significantly improved. Furthermore, the practice of=20= > setting a too-short distance between the bearing felt and agraffe (as=20= > Steinway and Bechstein still do) tends to restrict the tone a little.=20= > I notice that Yamaha seem to have discovered that this is a problem=20 > also. Their later pianos have more free string distance between=20 > agraffe and bearing felt. We've been increasing the free segment=20 > length to around 20 mm in retrung pianos since 1995. > > If anyone knows the model=A0designation please tell me. The serial # = is=20 > 90964.=A0 (1899) > =A0 > The soundboard is=A0plastered in decals dedicated to kings and queens,=20= > emperors and many other a%"&*%*# 's governing Europe at the time, so=20= > it is definitely a Hamburg. > > This model always was smothered with 'Royal spruke'. > > Ron O= ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 4977 bytes Desc: not available Url : https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/72/51/64/81/attachment.bin ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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