<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; FONT-FAMILY: MS Sans Serif"><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; =
charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Kinda seems a bit like a silly question now. =
Your
explanation makes a lot of sense. Thanks.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV>Terry,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>For a given piano length, lessening the string spacing would =
shorten the
low tenor strings. Not a positive change in most piano =
scales.
Also, the heavier low tenor wires put a higher side force on the =
bridge
pins due to their stiffness, so larger pins and wider spacing would =
reduce the
bridge's tendency to crack. Bad grain orientation aside (Knabe) =
most
bridge cracking occurs around the closely spaced small pins in the =
high
treble, or on the bass bridge where string tensions are =
greatest. I
could imagine that these factors were discovered during the transition =
from
parallel-strung to overstrung designs, and also as string tension =
increased as
cast iron plates were incorporated.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Mike</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid"><FONT
size=2>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>On most (all?) modern pianos, =
the mid and
upper treble strings are roughly parallel to one another. However, =
in the
tenor, and more-so in the lower tenor, the strings are spaced much =
further
apart over the bridge than they are up near the forward speaking =
length
termination.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Why? I ask that especially because =
I have heard
much talk of design/performance concerns about the low end of the =
long
bridge being too close to the rim - why not just lessen the string =
spacing
and have the long bridge end further from the rim?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry
Farrell</FONT></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>