<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD><TITLE></TITLE> <META http-equiv=Content-Type = content=text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2523" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY text=#000000 bgColor=#ccccff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mike,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Studies made on strings from a = Bechstein offered to Richard Wagner and dated from 1864 showed that the wire used by = Bechstein in those years has identical properties than modern Röslau wire = (average 2200 N/mm² breaking strain).  Anyway, those pianos are scaled so that = the tension of the strings stays at about 40 % of the in situ breaking = strain (even less at the tenor/bass cross over).  By the way I am not sure at = all that (as you often read it) a string sounds better when it gets closer to = break point.  Yes, the partials get closer to a harmonious value, but at = the same time, the sustain of the note decreases drastically, and for my taste, = some inharmonicity is good for aesthetical results.  In those years, = piano desingers did their work by ear, which is, I believe, the very best method.  For any Bechstein as for any Steinway, I would use regular = modern Röslau, and not expect any catastrophy if tuned at 435 or 445 = Hz.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Stéphane Collin.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=pianoforte@pianofortesupply.com href="mailto:pianoforte@pianofortesupply.com">Piano Forte Supply</A> = </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, November 12, 2004 = 7:52 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> 1883 Bechstein = upright, "standard" pitch/scale tension</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV>Mike,<BR><BR>when restoring these Victorian Era pianos, = you may want to look into restringing with  Pure Sound Wire  <A class=moz-txt-link-freetext = href="http://www.puresound-wire.com/">http://www.puresound-wire.com/</A= ><BR>A quote from the website: " Present-day piano wire is too stiff and its = tensile strength is higher than necessary, causing a very low percentage of = string load and therefore lack of tone quality."<BR><BR>Jurgen Goering<BR><A class=moz-txt-link-abbreviated = href="http://www.pianofortesupply.com">www.pianofortesupply.com</A><BR>= <BLOCKQUOTE cite=mid200411112056.iABKuIY32029@bridget.rudoff.com type="cite"><DIV>List,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Today I'm disassembling an old Bechstein upright for = refinish and restringing.  Serial number dates it 1883.  Interesting features:  full cast plate, including full coverage of tuning = pin field.  Wooden (mahogany) action brackets, at ends only  = (no intermediate brackets).    Relatively small for an = upright, with only 85 notes. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I would appreciate any insights you might have regarding what = pitch it would have been designed for.  I've found brief mention of = standards adopted in 1885 in Vienna (435) and London (455), however C. = Bechstein was in Berlin.  I would like to evaluate and improve on the scale - = obviously got to know what pitch to tune it to when I'm done.  = The existing strings and pins appear uniformly old, but I wouldn't want = to assume they're original.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>thanks for any info on pitch / tension</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mike</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Michael Spalding</DIV> <DIV><A = href="mailto:spalding48@earthlink.net">spalding48@earthlink.net</A></DI= V> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>