new bluthner bridge

[RicB]

Hi Clark.

I was pretty sure I was looking at a white beech bridge when I took the 
original off.  But through the layers of shellack and dirt it ended up 
being mostly of maple.  There was an extension on the low end of the 
bass bridge that extended into the rim moulding and that was beech.  And 
it looks like the top section was capped with something other then maple. 

I wonder if your book mentions anything about why soundboard of this 
period often had their bent side left unglued and held down on the rim 
with a nailed moulding instead.  And if it mentions anything about grain 
direction choices.

Didnt get to take any more pictures today... but I will post a couple 
more from my cell phone later on tonite.

Cheers
RicB


     > We ended up with hard rock maple.

    Turgan wrote Pleyel used service wood (cormier) for
    bridge caps (Les Grands Usines, 1865). W. H. Davies
    didn't explain his reasons, but thought "these are
    better of beech, though for the soundboard either
    close-grained birch or American maple will answer
    nearly as well" and just wanted the flowery side up on
    the top bridge. ("How to Make a Pianoforte" English
    Mechanic, v.27 - 1878).

    I only remember seeing beech used for backposts and a
    bottom board in old American pianos, the broken glue
    joints made it seem like they weren't very dry when
    they were put together.

    Clark