[pianotech] question about agraffes and uprights

[Roger@Integra.net]

Terry,
Agraffes are a more suitable termination for the lower and mid range frequencies. They are less likely to produce a zing in the string. Certainly, it is known that if you install a hard bridge pin made of water cooled drill rod, you will hear a zing in the string especially in the mid to lower sections; so hardness of the terminations are important. This zing is the result of two hard surfaces vibrating against each other. Although cast iron is a soft material, it is harder than brass and less suitable for a termination in the mid to low range. When you transfer this understanding to the treble section, the physics change, or reverse. Pianos that use brass (agraffes) as the termination in the treble have a tendency to create, over time, a soft pocket that doesn’t efficiently reflect the energy of the high frequencies, so a harder surface is desired. The underlying logic is that the high frequencies reflect adequately off of hard surfaces (cast iron) without producing a hard metal-to-metal buzz, and the low frequencies are better suited to a softer termination that reduce the chance of errant high frequencies entering the musical envelope.

Now let’s see how the flood of comments or counter comment picks this apart, especially those that claim that the lower quality grand pianos with no agraffes sound “fine” and the good quality uprights without agraffes sound great.

Roger Gable
P.S. The relative expense to machine an agraffe is not simply to effect the even spacing of the strings, it’s a byproduct.

From: Terry Farrell 
Sent: Friday, February 08, 2013 4:36 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org 
Subject: Re: [pianotech] question about agraffes and uprights

I don't have an answer, but rather another question:  Why DID agraffes become the standard (tenor & bass) on grand pianos? 

Was it just because they look cool - a marketing tool like three pedals and the longest bass strings.....?


Terry Farrell

On Feb 8, 2013, at 2:58 AM, tnrwim at aol.com wrote:


  I think primarily because of cost. There are some high end uprights that do have agraffes, but to keep the cost down on upright pianos they didn't. 

  Wim

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Duaine Hechler <dahechler at att.net>
  To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
  Sent: Thu, Feb 7, 2013 9:05 pm
  Subject: [pianotech] question about agraffes and uprights

Simple question - why didn't agraffes become standard on uprights ?

-- 
Duaine Hechler
Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ - Tuning, Servicing & Rebuilding
(314) 838-5587 / dahechler at att.net / www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com
Home & Business user of Linux - 13 years

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