Two rebuilding questions

[Richard Brekne]

Bent side is just held down tightly by a molding, along with the non 
floating half of the tail. Molding was just nailed to the rim through 
the soundboard edge. It doesn't clatter of course or they wouldn't have 
done this at all. These are old early grands you see this on.  Floating 
parts of the bass area are more common and some designers use this 
concept today.

The soundboard is attached quite solidly to the rim this way... but my 
question is just how solidly... compared to glue ?  The thought dawned  
on me this might have been an early attempt to allow the panel to stay 
more stable against the strings with respect to climate changes.... if 
the thought was that the panel tries to rise and fall with climate 
changes... this might allow for the panel to simply move out 
<<sideways>> along (behind) the bridge lengths instead of trying to push 
upwards.... but thats just musing.

Cheers
RicB


        very interesting. I never heard of such a design. No idea what
        the original
        idea was, but I argue that design could produce *clattering*
        sounds. I am
        not shure if I figure out that correctly: are you talking about
        wood on wood
        without glue or any other intermediate layer?

        Gregor



     >From: Richard Brekne <ricb at pianostemmer.no>
     >
     >
     >Hi
     >
     >I have a couple questions about older pianos vs new.  In many (grands)
     >pianos of the 1800's you see the bent side of the soundboard left
     >unglued. Often enough half of the tail section is also unglued and the
     >other half floating... with or without an additional mass added at
    that
     >point.