<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.3020" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY style="WORD-WRAP: break-word; khtml-nbsp-mode: space; khtml-line-break: after-white-space" bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Alan: I completely disagree with you. You are using common sense. You are thinking practically. That's nonsense! Think MARKETING! "Brand X piano is much better than Brand Y because it has a fully functional fallboard (casters, sliding desk, etc.) - Brand X does not". These are things piano shoppers can see and feel. A hockey stick bridge or a well designed string scale that utilizes a transition bridge - naw, it's hidden under the strings - who can even see it? And not that it is difficult to hear the difference - I just don't think many folks are willing to put that much effort into it - besides, it says X&X on the fallboard......</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I simply can't, by any stretch of the imagination, buy it that anyone with half an ear would think that a string scale that requires a hockey stick bridge configuration will sound better than a well designed string scale that utilizes a transition bridge. But perhaps that's just me.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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 style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>It may be cutting corners but I can think of much more effective ways of cutting costs in terms of piano design such as doing away with the fallboard for a start. That would save a lot more in cost than a few extra wound strings. Doing away with the sliding music desk...... I notice that the Yamaha A1 just does with a board attached to the rear of the stretcher. Does a piano really need castors? I hear some screaming out " how are we supposed to move it then?" You're not supposed to move it silly; once in situ, there it stays. I've never seen an organ with castors. Design the piano as an instrument and not as a piece of furniture. </FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>I really do think they stick to the long bridge design because to them it SOUNDS BETTER and besides there are tuners out there who need the work should the piano prove to have instability in tuning; not all places in the world or home environments have wildly fluctuating climatic conditions.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>Just trying to reason on behalf of the silent manufacturers who never seem to come up with answers to our questions......and we know they are lurking on the list.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>AF</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>(Now working on my design for a one legged piano)</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>"As to why the manufacturers did it their way, I can only assume that it was to keep the harmonics in line as far down the scale as was possible."</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Boy, do you really think that is the reason? Isn't there some tiny chance that it's CHEAPER - as in cutting corners?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>