<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type"> <title></title> </head> <body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"> Hi Terry Farrell wrote: <blockquote cite="mid005d01c71f7a$d7149530$0301a8c0@DESKTOP" type="cite">Hi Ric, - You likely are aware that I don't much subscribe to the traditional "circle of sound" thing - at least not how it is presented in marketing brochures. But, regarding the front termination directly bonded to a very solid pinblock, I think the more that a piano's belly components are all structurally bonded together in one solid piece, then all the better - if nothing else, it may make for a more solid/stiff structure. </blockquote> Sure I am... grin you are one of those guys who has lots of jollys tossing that one around... and a lot of that stuff is realllllly funny stuff. Yes we do have fun.  And as the marketing version of this thing goes.... hey I'm the first to admit things can get pretty thick.  Still.. there  seems to be something to the whole idea tho I'm not in a position to confirm or deny.  I do like the angle you spin off in here on this.... that at least makes so much sense its hard to deny. <blockquote cite="mid005d01c71f7a$d7149530$0301a8c0@DESKTOP" type="cite"> Yes, please post (or send to me) lots of pictures of the front terminations, the pinblock area, the brace connections at the pinblock and this I-beam you speak of. How flat is your pinblock? Is there some sort of pinblock flange that the struts connect to? Sometimes pinblocks in old designs rotate a bit in the middle under string tension without lots of plate material in that area to help it keep it's original flat shape. I will be working with Phil Bondi in the near future on the belly of his 1860s S&S grand. The pinblock on his has warped/rotated. It will be replaced, but we are interested in ideas to strengthen this area so that it doesn't rotate in the future. Anything you can share with your Bluthner design would be appreciated. </blockquote> No problem... I'll go over and take a few this in a little while and post them later.  This doesnt show any signs of rotation that I can see, but then its a low tension thing to begin with. No front flange... just a wrestplank with a thin steel plate screwed into its top surface.... The struts are screwed into the whole thing on top.. through the metal plate.  For now... heres an older shot taken during tear down.  It shows the two front bridges and the attachment of the struts. Reminds me.. I gotta get the decal replicated.... always something to do :) Cheers <blockquote type="cite"><img src="cid:part1.06090703.08080209@broadpark.no" alt=""></blockquote> <blockquote cite="mid005d01c71f7a$d7149530$0301a8c0@DESKTOP" type="cite"> Terry Farrell -</blockquote> </body> </html>