Piano Design Question

[Richard Cromwell]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
In my minimal studies of piano design the benefits that overstrung scales
provide over a straight scale are pretty simple

 

Overstringing maximizes the length of the bass strings while being able to
position the bass bridge closer to the center/most flexible part of the
soundboard.  This is important as the amplitude of the lower frequencies
produced by the bass strings move the board more and thus benefit from the
additional throw available closer to the center.  I am not going to bother
to go into why maximizing the length of the bass strings is important,
because if you don't know. you shouldn't be reading this. :-).  I think that
the designers of old felt that the substantial benefits yielded in the
quality of tone produced in the bass section of the piano by overstinging
far outweigh any resulting deficiencies (which there are of course) in the
tenor or anywhere else for that matter. which makes sense to me.

 

Also I wouldn't concern myself so much with the effect of one sections'
bridge (bass, tenor, and treble) effect on one another from an "each having
its own individual soundboard area" paradigm, because the sympathetic
resonance aspect of string physics alone will effect the tonal quality more
in those regards anyway. sometimes positively in a desirable way on a well
scaled instrument.

 

That's my 2 cents, which in this economy isn't worth very much. :-|

 

Richard Cromwell

Cromwell's Piano Service

 

 

  _____  

From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Farrell
Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 6:35 PM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: Piano Design Question

 

To those who delve into piano design (and loose sleep over such
things)......

 

My understanding is that the bass/tenor area of the typical modern grand
piano soundboard poses a challenge from the design standpoint because in
pretty much the same location you want a very flexible soundboard for the
bass and a stiffer soundboard for the lower tenor. This necessitates
compromise.

 

Yes - is that true?

 

Wouldn't a straight-strung arrangement work better? Seems to me that
designing a piano with performance being the #1 criteria, a straight strung
(or parallel or whatever - you know what I mean) arrangement would offer the
designer the luxury of designing the soundboard to meet the needs of the
various sections of the string scale - and not having to make the same area
suit two different needs. 

 

Now keep in mind that I ask this question strictly from the performance
(musical) standpoint and not the standpoint of how well a design might sell.
I believe it is the case that one can design a piano with longer bass
strings for a given piano length with an overstrung design - if the
marketing department is put in charge of piano design. I'm talking about
eliminating the marketing department and the accounting department and just
dealing with how to build the most acoustically pleasing piano. (I know,
silly idea.) Now rememeber - no marketing - we can make the case ANY shape
we want (we don't have to have a flat side on the bass side)!

 

Without having to concern yourself with factory sales, would you rather
design a straight-strung or overstrung piano? Which approach give the
designer more freedom to design an optimal piano?

 

Thanks. Tomorrow in the shop will pivot on this.....    ;-)

 

FWIW: Seems to me that straight-strung offers significant design benefits
because each area of the string scale occupies a unique area of the
soundboard - and hence that area of the soundboard can be designed to
optimize the performance of that area of the string scale.

 

Terry Farrell


---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/b7/67/6b/bc/attachment.htm

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--