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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=davidlovepianos@earthlink.net
href="mailto:davidlovepianos@earthlink.net">David Love</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> July 05, 2002 9:25 =
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Bridge design</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>On a Steinway M there are several gaps between the =
bridge
and the soundboard at the lower end of the treble/tenor bridge. =
What is
the purpose of those gaps in design, and if one were remaking a =
bridge
for that instrument, would you duplicate that design?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>David Love</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080>For several reasons, including the
foreshortening of the strings down toward the end of the bridge and =
the
consequent scaling problems, the fact that only 28 wrapped bi-chords are =
used,
relatively weak (flexible) ribbing at that point, etc., the bass/tenor =
break
ends up being relatively awkward in this model. I don't know the =
official
position on this 'feature' but the effect is to reduce the energy =
transfer
efficiency between the strings falling on that portion of the bridge and =
those
some further up. I've been told they eliminate the thuddy =
characteristic of
the strings down toward the break. In practice they don't seem to
help much, if at all. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080>A better solution would be to =
straighten
out the scaling in that area and use an extension on the end =
of the
tenor bridge to stiffen up the end of the bridge -- even better, design =
in a
transition bridge -- and/or redesign the ribbing, and leave out the =
gaps.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080>Del</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>