<HTML style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; FONT-FAMILY: MS Sans Serif"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>Hi Joe,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks for the explanation.  The mellow-vs-strident tone thing is definitely relevant, since we're reshaping, not replacing, hammers.  I'll need to play what-if with PScale to see how much worse the IH would get down at the hockey stick end of the long bridge with reduced tension....</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mike</DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=joegarrett@earthlink.net href="mailto:joegarrett@earthlink.net">Joe Garrett</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To: </B><A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech</A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 11/14/2004 12:25:54 PM </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: 1883 Bechstein upright scale</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Michael Spalding said: "<FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Yup, I'm with you all the way.  I definitely want to do a full scale evaluation.  As I stated, the only question I have is, what pitch was the piano originally designed for?  You state 435.  Reasons?  My limited info indicates manufacturers and musicians were all over the map at that time.<BR><BR>thanks</FONT><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Michael,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>You are absolutely correct! Even though, the German pianos were meant to be tuned at a whole lot more than 440cps, in that period, I choose 435cps, because that is the pitch that the US tuners were, most prevalently using when the piano was new. Hence, the lower pitch, gave the piano a much mellower sound, which is what was expected of the instrument. I've found that most German pianos, of that period, had VERY good wire that will take pitch raises w/o a problem. If you choose to just do a straight 440cps scale evaluation and smooth up the inconsistencies....Fine. I don't think you'll have any problem(s). My reasoning for using 435cps, is more in the line of tone. Because the board is stiffer, from age, it tends to have a more strident projection with the original scale up to 440cps. I'm just speaking from MY experience. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Best Regards,</DIV></FONT> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Joe Garrett, R.P.T.<BR>Captain, Tool Police<BR>Squares R I</FONT></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>