<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><style></style></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1>“The end result is that pressure on the sounding board has been greatly reduced, thereby further increasing acoustic efficiency.”  They seem to be making the claim that reducing the pressure on the soundboard will always result in an increase of acoustic efficiency.  We know that in certain circumstances with a particular board and it’s loading requirements, that may be the case if the board has already been excessively loaded with downbearing, and we lighten the load by adjusting the plate height and/or the hitch pins.  But in all other circumstances that would not be true.  They offer no evidence why a bridge agraffe would need to load a board by a different quantifiable amount than a traditional bridge, all else being equal.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>The brighter spectrum of overtones likely comes from a somewhat less secure termination at the string bearing point on the speaking length, by way of comparison to a well-functioning notched and pinned bridge. <o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>Interestingly, the Steingraeber Phoenix I listened to was a very nice instrument in many ways.  But it also sounded to me like a piano that I thought might be improved by increasing the downbearing somewhat.  As good as it was, it lacked somewhat in dynamism to my ear.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>Will<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Jim Ialeggio Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2013 6:39 PM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: [pianotech] Worst Bass/Tenor Crossover in Universe<o:p></o:p></div></div><o:p> </o:p>Del wrote: <...it will take more than marketing gobble-d-gook to convince me. Looks like I got that wrong, regarding the zero downbearing. The various marketing spiels I've heard lead me to believe that downbearing with the phoenix agraffes was zip. However, looking at Atlantic music's website, I see the following: "With the new bridge agraffes, tensile force in the string is used to develop high contact loads between the strings and the bridge cap via independent knife edges. This system permits adjustment of the balance of forces within each individual agraffe. New adjustable hitch pins were developed so that the amount of down bearing on the bridge can be adjusted to within 1/100 of a millimeter. The end result is that pressure on the sounding board has been greatly reduced, thereby further increasing acoustic efficiency. The agraffes have achieved a perceptibly altered, brighter spectrum of overtones, more clarity, increased sustain and greater volume." That quote does not say zero downbearing. It seems to infer that downbearing is reduced, but as usual, the spiel is less than informative. Jim  Ialeggio <o:p></o:p><pre>-- <o:p></o:p></pre><pre>Jim Ialeggio   <o:p></o:p></pre><pre><a href="mailto:jim@grandpianosolutions.com">jim@grandpianosolutions.com</a><o:p></o:p></pre><pre>978 425-9026<o:p></o:p></pre><pre>Shirley Center, MA<o:p></o:p></pre><pre><o:p> </o:p></pre></div></body></html>