<!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 6.00.2800.1264" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: = #ffffff" bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>Hi Dale,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Del rescaled a M&H 54" upright for me and we went from the = cantilevered bass to a solid, directly-attached, bass bridge. However, the speaking = lengths on note #1 only changed from 46.5" to 46.3" and from 38.7" to 38.4" at = note #26 (highest bass note).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So I guess this might confirm your though that you new speaking = lengths will not be unusually short.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Sorry, this doesn't help you with your damping questions though. Interesting concern though - would sure like to hear what others may = have found in cases such as this.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Regarding bass bridge shape and ultimate position - is it = not best to let that be determined by rescaling data? And it might be interesting to see how the scaling would work out if a transition tenor = bridge was considered.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Has anyone ever offered a class in string rescaling at the conventions?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Terry Farrell</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 style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=Erwinspiano@aol.com href="mailto:Erwinspiano@aol.com">Erwinspiano@aol.com</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, November 22, = 2003 9:50 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Chaging upright bridge = location & affects</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 = size=3><STRONG>   List</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=3><STRONG>    I wanted to pick your brains = so here it is. </STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=3><STRONG>    Last week I took in a large 54' = 1903 Schaff Bros. upright for restoration. It has a beautiful Victorian style case = an intact & legitimate soundboard. Among the usual things it will = also get a complete set of bridge caps. The bass bridge has the half moon shaped = bridge mounted on the usual apron & the bridge body itself has a vertical = crack thru to the apron that was repaired by installing several screws. </STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=3><STRONG>    Since I need to do extensive = repairs anyway I'm considering building a solid bridge & attaching it to the = board where the apron is currently joined. The current string lengths on note 1 is = a very long 51& 1/2 "& note 28 is 41 & 1/2". If I = relocate the bridge It will be shortening those strings by 2&1/2" on = note 1. & 3 & 1/2" on note 28. The new length will be  49'& = 38 & 1/2" respectively. Still long strings.  Because of the half moon = shape the longer strings will become even sorter especially if I use a = straight bridge which, would be simpler. The middle& longer strings would = be shorten by as much as 5."</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 = size=3>   I'm looking for feedback from others who have done this or have an = idea about it. A prime consideration for me is, will this improve or inhibit = damping? How will it improve the sound? From what others have said = just attaching it to directly to the board will improve mechanical = efficiency. No argument there,</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 = size=3>    In most uprights the dampers best location would be where the = hammers hit the strings but obviously they can't be there. Also I don't want = to end up with the damper on some nodal point that creates some harmonic that I = can't resolve. In fact perhaps this is why the strings on most uprights are = so long perhaps to mitigate that effect. I don't know. Will shortening the = string push the optimal damping point even further up the string towards the = tuning pins? That to me would be bad.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 = size=3>  Interestingly and for sake of comparison a Mason A Bass note 1 = & 26 is approx. 49" & 36" Which is close to where a modified length will be on the upright. Also the tenor string lengths are = fairly comparable in both pianos.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040>    = <FONT size=3><STRONG>Any insights will be of course be appreciated & = as always stimulating & helpful.</STRONG></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 = size=3>   Thanks in advance--Dale = Erwin</FONT></STRONG></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>