One of the problems with assessing tension in scales is illustrated
by the data below. The plain wire sections of the original scales on
two pianos are listed: Steinway B and Knabe 6’4”. You can see that
the range within each piano is fairly broad. Ever wonder why you had
such a voicing problem getting the low end of the tenor section to
blend well with the bass on a Steinway B? On the Knabe you can see
that the tensions range from a low of 138 to a high of 209 lbs. Both
of these pianos received a bit of scale alteration.
David Love
davidlovepianos at comcast.net
www.davidlovepianos.com
Knabe 6’4”
Note # Length mm Wire
Size Tension lbs
C# - 3
29
1065.0
19.5
151
D - 3
30
1035.0
19.5
160
D# - 3
31
1005.0
19.0
161
E - 3
32
970.0
19.0
169
F - 3
33
938.0
18.5
169
F# - 3
34
901.0
18.5
175
G - 3
35
865.0
18.0
173
G# - 3
36
825.0
18.0
176
A - 3
37
785.0
17.5
170
A# - 3
38
747.0
17.5
173
B - 3
39
707.0
17.5
174
C - 4
40
667.0
17.5
174
C# - 4
41
629.0
17.5
174
D - 4
42
594.0
17.0
165
D# - 4
43
557.0
17.0
163
E - 4
44
524.0
17.0
162
F - 4
45
492.0
17.0
160
F# - 4
46
464.0
17.0
160
G - 4
47
444.0
16.5
156
G# - 4
48
427.0
16.5
162
A - 4
49
411.0
16.0
160
A# - 4
50
395.0
16.0
166
B - 4
51
380.0
16.0
172
C - 5
52
365.0
16.0
178
C# - 5
53
350.0
16.0
184
D - 5
54
334.0
16.0
188
D# - 5
55
320.0
15.5
184
E - 5
56
305.0
15.5
187
F - 5
57
290.0
15.5
190
F# - 5
58
276.0
15.5
193
G - 5
59
264.0
15.5
198
G# - 5
60
251.0
15.5
201
A - 5
61
239.0
15.0
194
A# - 5
62
228.0
15.0
198
B - 5
63
217.0
15.0
201
C - 6
64
207.0
15.0
205
C# - 6
65
196.0
15.0
207
D - 6
66
186.0
15.0
209
D# - 6
67
176.0
14.5
198
E - 6
68
166.0
14.5
198
F - 6
69
155.0
14.5
194
F# - 6
70
145.0
14.5
190
G - 6
71
136.0
14.5
188
G# - 6
72
128.0
14.5
187
A - 6
73
121.0
14.5
187
A# - 6
74
113.0
14.0
173
B - 6
75
105.0
14.0
167
C - 4
76
99.0
14.0
167
C# - 7
77
93.0
14.0
165
D - 7
78
87.0
14.0
162
D# - 7
79
82.0
13.5
152
E - 7
80
77.0
13.5
151
F - 7
81
72.0
13.5
148
F# - 7
82
68.0
13.5
148
G - 7
83
63.0
13.5
143
G# - 7
84
60.0
13.5
145
A - 7
85
57.0
13.0
138
A# - 7
86
54.0
13.0
139
B - 7
87
51.0
13.0
139
C - 8
88
48.0
13.0
139
Steinway B
F - 2
21
1474
20.0
120
F# - 2
22
1444
20.0
129
G - 2
23
1416
19.0
127
G# - 2
24
1382
19.0
136
A - 2
25
1342
19.0
144
A# - 2
26
1311
19.0
154
B - 2
27
1277
19.0
164
C - 3
28
1219
18.0
153
C# - 3
29
1172
18.0
158
D - 3
30
1111
18.0
160
D# - 3
31
1061
18.0
164
E - 3
32
1012
18.0
167
F - 3
33
960
18.0
169
F# - 3
34
911
18.0
171
G - 3
35
864
18.0
172
G# - 3
36
819
17.0
157
A - 3
37
776
17.0
158
A# - 3
38
735
17.0
159
B - 3
39
697
17.0
161
C - 4
40
658
17.0
161
C# - 4
41
621
17.0
161
D - 4
42
590
17.0
163
D# - 4
43
557
17.0
163
E - 4
44
525
17.0
163
F - 4
45
498
17.0
164
F# - 4
46
470
17.0
164
G - 4
47
445
17.0
165
G# - 4
48
422
16.5
158
A - 4
49
401
16.5
161
A# - 4
50
382
16.5
164
B - 4
51
363
16.5
166
C - 5
52
333
16.5
157
C# - 5
53
320
16.0
154
D - 5
54
306
16.0
158
D# - 5
55
295
16.0
165
E - 5
56
282
16.0
169
F - 5
57
268
16.0
171
F# - 5
58
252
16.0
170
G - 5
59
240
15.5
164
G# - 5
60
228
15.5
166
A - 5
61
217
15.5
169
A# - 5
62
205
15.5
169
B - 5
63
194
15.5
170
C - 6
64
185
15.5
173
C# - 6
65
175
15.0
165
D - 6
66
166
15.0
166
D# - 6
67
157
15.0
167
E - 6
68
150
15.0
171
F - 6
69
138
15.0
163
F# - 6
70
131
15.0
164
G - 6
71
126
14.5
161
G# - 6
72
120
14.5
164
A - 6
73
113
14.5
163
A# - 6
74
107
14.5
164
B - 6
75
102
14.0
158
C - 4
76
96
14.0
157
C# - 7
77
91
14.0
158
D - 7
78
85
14.0
155
D# - 7
79
81
13.5
149
E - 7
80
76
13.5
147
F - 7
81
72
13.5
148
F# - 7
82
68
13.5
148
G - 7
83
65
13.0
143
G# - 7
84
61
13.0
141
A - 7
85
57
13.0
138
A# - 7
86
55
13.0
144
B - 7
87
53
13.0
150
C - 8
88
52
13.0
163
-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
Behalf Of Erwinspiano at aol.com
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 7:14 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: High tension? Low? Board stiffness? was Hammer Types
Hi Alan
You asked about 20 questions but I'm answering only a couple.
Ronsen Wurzen hammers are very consistent.
I base this on having used a dozen or more sets. SO the difference
is in the soundboard system/scaling/down bearing etc.
I think of high tension low tension in terms of plain wire.
Steinway scales , models S,M,l,O & the A's as 160 ish lbs per string
on the plain wire. Models B,C,D have higher tension in the 180's or
higher or tensions that spike high like the C into the 190's.
Other scale heads will have more to offer than this.
As far as no. of ribs in general the more the merrier. Rather have
too much support than not enough. You have to start paying attention
to this stuff so you can begin to draw some general conclusion your
self. How many ribs how tall etc. where are the cut outs. And
remember most of the boards you will see are compression crowned so
how do you quantify that? Not!
Dale's general rule of thumb is that the stiffer the hammer
requeiremnts the stiffer the soundboard & vice verse.
On the Wurzens you thought needed a thin dilution of juice. The
lightest solution would probably give you enough of what you were
after without adverse effect or wait for a years hard playing.
So may question so little time
Dale
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