<div>I've always felt that verticals with agraffes have a clearer tone with less false beating.  The strings render well, too, making it easier to tune well.  JMHO  </div> <div> </div> <div>Just to suggest an example: Two pianos: one w/agraffes, the other a S&S 1045 w/that huge pressure bar.  Which one would you want to tune?  Or play, for that matter?</div> <div> </div> <div>Tom Sivak</div> <div>Chicago<BR><BR><B><I>Ron Nossaman <rnossaman@cox.net></I></B> wrote:</div> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">> Recently, I have been getting more pressure from the marketing folks to <BR>> design upright models with agraffes, preferably all the way up to #88. <BR>> What do you folks think about that?<BR>> <BR>> Frank Emerson<BR><BR>As a marketing tool, sure. It looks good listed in the <BR>brochures with bass string length and soundboard area. The <BR>piano can then be sold for a price difference greater than the <BR>cost of agraffe installation, albeit in lesser quantity <BR>because of the higher price. From a practical standpoint, <BR>they'll maintain string spacing if the tuning pin field is <BR>poorly laid out. Kimball comes immediately to mind here. <BR>Otherwise, I'm not convinced there is a real performance <BR>benefit to agraffes over the conventional V mound and pressure <BR>bar.<BR><BR>You?<BR><BR>Ron N<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>