<HTML>In a message dated 3/20/2002 11:12:38 PM Pacific Standard Time, hufford1@airmail.net writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Subj:Re: Sohmer Date:3/20/2002 11:12:38 PM Pacific Standard Time From:<A HREF="mailto:hufford1@airmail.net">hufford1@airmail.net</A> Reply-to:<A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> To:<A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> Sent from the Internet Dale,      I have a Sohmer 9B in the shop.  It has conventional crown which is about 1/8 in the middle.  This is after restringing and being within 1/2 step of pitch.   I think these are great pianos and I like their bridge agraffe system.  This particular Sohmer had a very pronounced long crack running about an inch and a half or so in front of the bridge.  This crack, which I have seen on several other Sohmers in virtually the same configuration, is obvious stress relief from the forces produced by the bridge operating and pulling on the board, that is, relief of shearing stresses.    >.....Are you saying that the strings are pulling up on the board???????             If so that would explain it. And how bizarre.</BLOCKQUOTE> >>>>>>>>      Hi Robin---It's interesting that the only one I've ever worked has reverse crown and I do belive it intentional. but the downbearing force was pushing towards the floor in the usual way. The bass bridge was the usual arrangement of pins.   The other interesting note is that the piano was selected from a showroom where they had a wide selection of pianos and this one had more of what they wanted and people in the know frequently commented on what an wonderful and unusual sound this piano had. Really it's wonderful. When I first sat down to play it I was in immediate love. Being a sustain freak this piano was like holding notes down on an organ. By the way ,I'm not prone to exaggeration, just know a good ax when I hear it. <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">      In the one in the shop the ribs were dowelled to the board in this area and the crack was filled with epoxy.  This crack is about the only characteristic failure of  the c. 6 feet Sohmers with the agraffe system I have seen, although, as I have seen perhaps, only 8 or 9 over the years, this may be a generalization on shaky grounds. The factory, apparently, was aware of this as they have attached on the botton side of the board, under the bridge, a long reinforcing strip of maple, let in and passing through the ribs. The crack occurs in front of this strip.</BLOCKQUOTE>        <<<<<<<<<An obvious factory flaw <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">  As to the agraffe termination at the bridge, I think this works quite well and, is probably a better, but more expensive mousetrap. Perhaps the expense is not that much more than the conventional method but I would guess that it would be as the bridge requires, of course, planing, notching of a somewhat different fashion,  the maple strip, notching of ribs, AND an agraffe and its installation.  The ringtime of this system seems distinctly superior to my ear in comparison to the conventional method.</BLOCKQUOTE> >>>>>>>>Me too--Regards-------------Dale Erwin>>>>>>>>>> <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Regards, Robin Hufford </BLOCKQUOTE> </HTML>