Soundboard rib question

[Overs Pianos]

Yes, I believe you can have backscale lengths 
which are too long for the middle and and higher 
string sections. Sympathetic ringing can become 
quite intrusive when the backs are too long. We 
relocated the hitch pins for a shorter back scale 
in the mid and high sections of a KG6 Kawai we 
rebuilt a few years ago. The result was a 
definite improvement.

In the case of Richard's early Blüthner, I would 
be reluctant to change it design-wise. I'm not 
often inclined towards preserving original older 
designs, but the piano in question is a very 
early Blüthner of which they are probably only a 
few in existence. I think it is worth keeping 
some of these significant earlier examples intact 
so that we can keep an overview of the past 300 
years of piano evolution.

Julius Blüthner turned 29 the year he built this 
piano. The changes which he incorporated into his 
instruments over the next thirty years was simply 
staggering. I saw an early Blüthner at the 
Griffith Ex Serviceman's Club in the early 70's. 
This concert grand was 10' 4.75" long, with an 85 
note scale and a patent action. But in most other 
respects this instrument was a thoroughly 
contemporary piano. Just last year we did some 
minor repairs to a 1860 Blüthner which had 
transit damage. Again, like Richard's example, 
this piano was very primitive compare to the 
above mentioned concert piano of 1883 (built in 
his 49th year).

Unfortunately, the Blüthner concert piano was 
lost in total-loss fire a few years after I saw 
it.

I'd be interested in seeing an image of the 
underside of the sound board when you can get one 
Richard.

Back to work. Currently drawing the rim-bending bucks for the 280.

Ron O.

>I can't imagine that could ever be bad, except I 
>wonder about all the sympathetic ringing that is 
>bound to occur.....
>
>Terry Farrell
>
>----- Original Message -----
>>Nice backscale lengths on these things.  Can you have too much of a good
>>thing?
>>
>>David Love


-- 
OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY
    Grand Piano Manufacturers
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