<!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 6.00.2719.2200" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#d8d0c8> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello Isaac.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks for advise.  My reaction = between your lines.</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=154341619-05102002>What are you calling = normal value in that case . Did the board show some crown before unstringing, and = after stringing ?</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN = class=154341619-05102002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCK= QUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=154341619-05102002>Well, I use a dial showing .001" precision measurements.  I measure downbearing putting this three legged dial = with the two outer legs (distant of 1.5" from each other) on the string at = each side of the bridge, and the third mobile leg (the one measuring distance = between itself and a straight line going from one of the outer legs to the = other) on the bridge self.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=154341619-05102002>Before restoration, the dial showed .000" = everywhere (strings were straight).  After the restoration, the dial showed = .020" in the middle of the trebble bridge, .015" at the trebble side, and .013" = on the bass bridge. I found similar values on very well sounding Bechstein = pianos.  I supposed that these readings indicated that there was = some crown in the board (maybe I a wrong ?), and also that the plate ended up a = little lower than it was.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=154341619-05102002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=154341619-05102002>By the way, how do you measure downbearing (I = am still confused about how to do this efficiently, and how to interpret = readings) ?</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=154341619-05102002>the treble in Bechstein = is often a bit weak, plus, if the keyboard is not well seated, you will have = a lack of power and a very weak tone in the places it dos not bed enough.</SPAN></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=154341619-05102002>I agree totally.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=154341619-05102002>Took me 1 year to = learn to hear when I need more pressure,(or less)  and 6 months to learn = to feel and hear the = bedding.</SPAN></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOC= KQUOTE> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=154341619-05102002>All I have been told uptill now is that more = pressure causes the tone to be more powerful but less sustaining, and other way round.  I imagine that it is a bit more complicated than that.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=154341619-05102002>When you hear that you need less pressure, = how do you achieve this ? take away the strings again, and pulling the plate out to = shim it ? </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=154341619-05102002>Second, when you take = the plate off, everything can happen, from a board that was holding its = shape because of the good habit it have and that collapse when unstrained.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN = class=154341619-05102002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCK= QUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=154341619-05102002>I agree again, and I am very afraid of taking = the plate off of a piano that has a nice sound.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=154341619-05102002>I once have to install = some brass piece under the bass strings of a Bösendorfer, as the high = downbearing on the basses did not please the medium. That helped (tone was constrained before)</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN = class=154341619-05102002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=154341619-05102002>That's why rebuilding = is a craft.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN = class=154341619-05102002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCK= QUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=154341619-05102002>Oh yes.  And I long to learn as much = about it as I can (thanks to you and all the generous people on the = list).</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=154341619-05102002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px" align=left><SPAN class=154341619-05102002></SPAN><FONT face=Arial = size=2>Best regards</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>