Bösendorfer Rim

[Ric Brekne]

Hi again Ed, and whomever else.

What I am curious about is the how the whole piano system impedance is 
put together. More specifically whether a soft rimmed piano can 
compensate for the rims tendancy to absorb energy by employing other 
system impedance devices... for example a heavier plate.  I mean... 
there is always a tradeoff it seems. Either in power/sustain or in other 
ways... the overall tone colour etc.  I dont think anyone would dispute 
that Bøsendorfers are right up there with the best of them.  So one has 
to assume they have reasoned through the pros and cons of such choices.  
Why would they choose a softer rim if the result was bound to be a 
significanly less powerfull instrument ?  I guess that what I am 
after.... how they must have felt they were able to compensate for the 
soft rim.

I mean.. on the one hand you have the string scale which needs a good 
impedance match with a soundboard.  To some degree this seems a bit 
independant (from what I think I've understood through the years) of the 
impedance of the rest of the piano to the soundboard... yet not totally 
so.  You took the rubber rim example... lets go the other way 
around....  what if you could create a rim/plate condition with absolute 
impedance to the soundboard ?  Totally eliminate any sound 
production/contribution/or whatever you want to call it from the case 
and plate ?  I'm far from convinced at this point that such an 
instrument would sound any good at all... but hey... maybe I'm wrong :)

btw.. I service a brand new 225 Bosie.  There is no way I could think of 
this thing as lacking any power. Ok... its in a smaller room, but then 
I've been at pianos for long enough to hear through and make a good 
judgement as to how the thing would do in a concert hall.  It do just as 
well as any C I've ever heard me thinks.

Cheers
RicB