Ed, I can't remember the break in the Mason A. I just remember playing the BB, and that one was impressive. As for the Bechstein C from 1953, it's hardly a small instrument. It's a semi-concert grand at around 230cm length :-) I doubt it was designed after the war. It's more likely that they continued with the design they built before, simplifying the plate ornamentation and case details. Calin Tantareanu http://calin.haos.ro -------------------- > -----Original Message----- > From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org > [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of ed440 at mindspring.com > Sent: marţi, 23 ianuarie 2007 23:54 > To: Pianotech List > Subject: RE: A tenor bridge conversion > > Calin- > > The Mason and Hamlin A is a small piano that never fully > resolved the bass break design. Today I tuned a new M & H A, > which has a hockey stick with two wound bichords on the end. > I suppose we could call the transition its "Achilles' heel," > but it is a lovely piano. I'd take it home any day. > > With a bit of voicing the transition "bump" is only > noticeable in certain ff passages with aggressive scalework. > The mother plays Classical, Romantic and Impressionist > repertoire and has no problem. The daughter plays Rock and > Praise music and complains about the second bichord note! > > As for the 1953 Bechstein, it's amazing they were able to get > back in business and build anything, don't you think? It's a > small piano designed for a post-war recovering economy. > > Ed Sutton > > > Calin wrote: > . But when you play a decent old Bechstein (as opposed to > >checking individual notes and stuff) you seldom are > disturbed by problems at > >the break. I'm not saying they aren't there, just that they > are not obvious > >during playing. > > > >What Bechstein achieved better than most (in their older > pianos) is the > >crystalline singing quality of the tenor and treble range, > which is rarely > >surpassed. And don't forget that it's there where most of > the music gets > >played. > > > >I hope that Ron Overs was able to retian that special > Bechstein tone in his > >rebuild. Please keep sending pictures and maybe a recording > when the piano > >is finished. > > > >Calin Tantareanu > >http://calin.haos.ro <http://calin.haos.ro/> > >-------------------- > > > > > > > > > > _____ > > > >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org > [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf > >Of alan forsyth > >Sent: marţi, 23 ianuarie 2007 01:22 > >To: Pianotech List > >Subject: Re: A tenor bridge conversion > > > > > > ... > >As to why the manufacturers did it their way, I can only > assume that it was > >to keep the harmonics in line as far down the scale as was > possible. No > >matter how well a scale is designed there will always be a > noticeable change > >in the harmonic content of the sound as soon as you reach > the bass crossover > >point i.e. the change from plain strings to wound strings. > > > >AF > > > > ... > > > >
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC