string termination

[Carl Meyer]

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Re: string termination
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Overs Pianos=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2005 6:01 AM
  Subject: Re: string termination


  Terry,


    Ron - a typo? Do you mean the new plating thickness will be 0.075 mm =
(3 thou)?


  Yes that was a typo. The plating thickness is 0.075 mm, or 3 thou. A =
zero went missing in haste.


     Why then not make a agraffe out of steel or some other harder =
material?


  I made a custom set of agraffes for a Steinway D we rebuilt for the =
ABC in 1998. I made them from SAE 1040 steel, which is considerably =
harder than free machining brass. We plated the 1040 agraffes with 2 =
thou of electroless nickel (and hardened the nickel plating to 60 =
Rockwell). These agraffes were without doubt the cleanest sounding set =
of agraffes we've ever done. I haven't made any others since then. Can =
you imagine how much effort it is to turn and machine up a set of these =
things using a screw cutting lathe and a milling attachment?


     That may be difficult for the one-off small-shop piano builder, but =
if there were a demand to others..... Why would this be so difficult?


  The cost in machining agraffes from something harder would probably =
make manufacturers shy away from using the harder material. Mind you, =
with today's ceramic cutting tools the task would be more do-able than =
it was.


     Why would brass persist so long?


  It should be bypassed for the purpose of string terminations. Its a =
very poor material for the purpose.


     \Why not use other termination types like a capo-type bar in all =
string sections like you see on cheap old American microgrands? What =
about something more like an upright pressure bar arrangement?


  These would certainly work, but it would give the high enders a bit of =
an agricultural look wouldn't it?=20


  That's a new expression for me.  You mean it will look like it was =
built by a bunch of dirt farmers???



  And after all, the piano business is as much about perceived fashion =
than practically.

  I agree.  A customer will say "I don't care what it looks like but it =
has to sound good".  We all know he means the opposite.


   I just can't see the higher enders taking up full compass capo bars =
any time soon. Mind you, Stuart has done just that with a full set of =
agraffes mounted in the underside of the bar. Its is a workable =
solution.


    Hardened bridge pins would be costly? I can see such an argument =
from a Chinese manufacturer, but from a famous American or European =
manufacturer who "spares no expense to create an uncompromised =
instrument?"


  That's just the thing Terry, the high enders claim that they don't =
spare expense (the brochures tend to be full of cheap sales chat), but =
its all over the instrument. They would be seem to be pretty careful not =
to get into anything too difficult (which would put the price of =
production up).


     I realize that if a pin costs a nickel or dime rather than two =
cents, times 500 pins, that would increase the cost of building the =
piano by $15 - $40....... or am I missing something? Or are the =
upper-end larger, uncompromising, manufacturers really that cheap?


  I suspect they just might be. But then again, the high enders who =
remain are the ones who have actually survived the slings and arrows of =
economic fortune. Its easy for us to criticise what we perceive to be =
cost cutting, but those who didn't do it haven't survived.


  Ron O.
--=20
OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY
     Grand Piano Manufacturers
  _______________________

  Web http://overspianos.com.au
  mailto:ron@overspianos.com.au
  _______________________
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