A tenor bridge conversion

[Delwin D Fandrich]

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From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Frank Emerson
Sent: January 23, 2007 9:57 PM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: A tenor bridge conversion


 
I have designed a number of pianos for a number of manufacturers, and the number
of wound strings has never been an issue.  If you make your own bass strings, it
doesn't add that much to the cost of the piano.

It did during the period from roughly 1880 through at least the 1920s when most
of these pianos were designed.
 

 
Well .......... I, too, had a hand in this particular Baldwn model as well.  The
number of notes on the bass bridge had nothing to do with its eventual market
success. 

The choice of 32 bass unisons was made so that the tenor bridge could avoid the
foreshortening curve typical with most "modern" pianos, especially small pianos.
 
Historically the foreshortened tenor bridge was a result of too few unisons
wrapped string unisons being used. And, if the transition between the wrapped
unisons is going to be made where good scaling practice dictates, the choice
comes down to either putting them in the separate bass section or putting some
of them on a transition bridge.
 

 
>From the point of view of a rebuilder, a transition bridge makes a lot of sense.
The number of notes on the bass bridge is predetermined.  At the design level,
when you can readily change the number of notes in the bass section, it is
another story, entirely.  Some designers would say that you put as many notes as
you can, with plain wire, on the treble bridge, Whatever is left, you put, as
wound strings, on the bass bridge.    
 
Frank Emerson 

In short to medium length pianos there is much to be said for the use of
transition bridges. With good string and rib scaling they can further reduce the
timbre changes across the transition between the plain steel string and wrapped
string and the transition between the bass section and the tenor section.
 
Del
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