I have found this thread interesting because I, too, used to tap pins with religious, but gentle, fervor. When I heard strings go "ping" into place, I thought I was really doing something. And the tone improved. I'm much more conservative now, almost to the point of becoming a member of the nontapper congregation. Since this seems to me to be an area that could be improved, I'm wondering what manufacturers have done to address soundboard bridge construction to eliminate some of the problems that have been outlined in such detail in this thread. I have heard of metal bridge caps, agraffes on the soundboard bridges, etc. I have even seen an old upright with what looks like small bearing bars (similar to the ones found on old SD-10's) on the soundboard bridges. I imagine tradition dictates what the public will buy. But if someone could invent a better bridge, why hasn't it caught on? Richard West, University of Nebraska
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