Agraffes in uprights

[Ron Nossaman]

> Recently, I have been getting more pressure from the marketing folks to 
> design upright models with agraffes, preferably all the way up to #88.  
> What do  you folks think about that?
>  
> Frank Emerson

As a marketing tool, sure. It looks good listed in the 
brochures with bass string length and soundboard area. The 
piano can then be sold for a price difference greater than the 
cost of agraffe installation, albeit in lesser quantity 
because of the higher price. From a practical standpoint, 
they'll maintain string spacing if the tuning pin field is 
poorly laid out. Kimball comes immediately to mind here. 
Otherwise, I'm not convinced there is a real performance 
benefit to agraffes over the conventional V mound and pressure 
bar.

You?

Ron N