<html> <body> Jim - Just to clarify one or two points: At 08:46 AM 2/20/2004 -0500, Jim Bryant wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>I  There are so many examples of pianos with little or no crown, including those which actually were made with reverse crown, </blockquote> I keep hearing about these.  Could you tell me which pianos were designed that way? <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite> Than there are the bridge agraffe thingees, like Ed's little Sohmer grand which actually have 'upbearing' in a portion of the scale and 'downbearing' in another portion of the scale </blockquote> Not quite.  As Ed Foote described it: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite> This piano has agraffes on most of the treble bridge, set in a cut-out notch in the front half of the bridge, which allows the strings to pass through the agraffe and also bear on the bridge itself.  </blockquote> Thus, the upward pressure at the agraffe, in front, is countered by the down pressure at the rear of the bridge.  Downbearing, in such a configuration, cannot be measured by any of the conventional methods.  I'd be curious to know how it was set to being with. Whether upbearing (or pulling) can exercise an equivalent force or load (compression / tension) or stress as downbearing is, as yet, not determined, I think. David Skolnik </body> </html>