<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <html><head><style type="text/css"></style><title>Re: Steinway O Redesign</title></head><body> <div><font face="Arial" color="#000000">Dale and all,</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" color="#000000"><br></font></div> <div><font face="Arial" color="#000000">At 10:15 AM -0400 9/6/05, Erwinspiano@aol.com wrote:</font></div> <blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" color="#000000">   Some months ago I started a project to answer a question about the parameters of the old S.S. O sound board design</font></blockquote> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" color="#000000">    . I have always felt it's  board design  deficient. It seemed that occasionally I'd find an old well preserved one here in CA that really sounded quite good but most , even under the best of circumstances had flat boards or just lifeless tone. The hazards of C. C. crowning aside, this narrow design parameters & lack luster tone I surmise  is one reason the model was changed in 1923  to the more successful square tail design of the L.</font></blockquote> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" color="#000000">    The O I'm currently ushering out the door this week has a redesigned board . I added a modest straight cutoff bar. I also added an extra rib for more support in the treble so that in the first capo section there are three ribs supporting the killer octave.  These taller less wide ribs are also fanned into  the treble.</font></blockquote> <div><br></div> <div>I believe all are worthwhile initiatives, the cut-off really helps the mid section of the treble bridge to gain in stiffness, improving the tonal focus - removing that boomy undertone that can often be heard in the middle register. It also results in shortened middle order ribs which have more of a chance of surviving more just the first few seasons.</div> <div><br></div> <div>The first capo section for most conventionally bellied instruments, including the O, is the most grossly overloaded section of the entire board. The addition of an extra rib provides not only extra stiffness but extra mass. The mass increase will almost certainly help to yield more sustain.</div> <div><br></div> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" color="#000000">There is no more killer octave, no weak notes. It's strong & clear with so much pop & power & wonderful sustain. All sustain freaks should welcome this.</font></blockquote> <div><br></div> <div>Indeed, when we added rib extensions (which significantly increased the overall rib height) to the 1968 CF Yamaha we rebuilt recently, the increase in sustain in the first capo section was most noticeable. Strangely enough, it seemed to have improved power also. I can only put this down to the possibility that the stiffer/heavier panel had improved efficiency relative to the standard item. Theoretically, if the sustain is increased, the power at the first part of tonal development should decrease.</div> <div><br></div> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" color="#000000">  In the best pianos you & I have heard, the tone floats & lingers with a great bloom . I am very pleased this board design really makes the O sing with more power clarity & sustain than any I've heard..</font></blockquote> <div><br></div> <div>Its a wonderful thing.</div> <div><br></div> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" color="#000000"> well except for maybe the Newer German O's </font></blockquote> <div><br></div> <div>In a lot of cases they don't do it for long, since they're grossly overloaded and are most reverse crowned within twenty years. I had two approx. 20 year old examples in the shop last year for repairs (unfortunately new sound boards were not part of the work). Both were totally inside out in the second top section.</div> <div><br></div> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" color="#000000">  My brother Keith came into the shop & I played one chord for him. He looked at me in amazement & said "it sounds like the board is just completely free" A musician but he knows only what he hears & nothing about soundboard design!</font></blockquote> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" color="#000000">  Truly gratifying. I hope the client appreciates it as much as I do. If I can find the pictures I'll send done or two.</font></blockquote> <div><br></div> <div>Look forward to seeing them.</div> <div><br></div> <blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" color="#000000">  BTW this had a plate broken by Gorilla bros. It was successfully repaired by the Loch-n- stich folks in Turlock CA. 15 miles a way . Convenient yes?</font></blockquote> <div><font face="Arial" color="#000000"><br></font></div> <div><font face="Arial" color="#000000">Congratulations to you and David for your initiative and courage in setting up your new product display centre in LA. This industry needs more people with courage, rather than those who cower behind a tradition which should only be part of the history of where we've been.</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" color="#000000"><br></font></div> <div>Ron O.</div> <x-sigsep><pre>-- </pre></x-sigsep> <div><font face="Times New Roman" size="+1" color="#0000FF"><b>OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY</b></font></div> <div><font color="#000000"><i>   </i></font><font color="#0000FF"><i>Grand Piano Manufacturers</i></font><font color="#000000"><br> _______________________</font></div> <div><font size="-2" color="#000000"><br> </font><font color="#000000">Web http://overspianos.com.au</font></div> <div><font color="#000000">mailto:ron@overspianos.com.au<br> _______________________</font></div> </body> </html>