<!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 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=2>This query goes back  to Dale Erwin's comment = about a Steinway O for which the scale had been recalculated by Sanderson with a = higher tension and it ended up choking the board such that the piano had = to be restrung with the original scale.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>My question is broad and I really just want to open = the topic up for discussion as I'm interested in researching this area  and = would appreciate any comments or recommendations for further reading.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>My impression about Sanderson, perhaps others, is = that the priority for scale calculation is in the area of inharmonicity rather = than overall tension and that this sometimes leads to the case mentioned = above.  My basic question is, if in order to get a smooth inharmonicity curve a = higher tension scale is called for, can one simply alter the downbearing = so that the load on the board is roughly the same?  (All other things being = equal and assuming the additional tension doesn't create a problem for the plate).   </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Additionally, is there an optimum load that the = board should have in each section?  The other day, Ron N. was discussing the = Lowell gauge and how do calculate the load given various dimensions and = tension.  I have also heard Ron and others mention that they aim for a certain = number of degrees of downbearing in different sections of the piano.  But = wouldn't the optimum number of degrees vary with the overall tension?  And = since there seems to be disagreement about the criteria for choices about = tension levels  what are the important criteria?  Since creating a = smooth inharmonicity curve seems like a reasonable goal (that the piano should = tune well), how can one approach rescaling a piano (where it's called = for) and maintain an optimum load on the board?    Do all of you = who get involved in soundboard and bridge design actually calculate the load on = the board in terms of pounds in each section or overall?  If so, what = do you aim for?  Or do you just kind of wing it using basic rules of thumb = (quarter, nickel, dime etc...)?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>David Love</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>