not quite 'factory'?

[Ted Simmons]

If you have Journal issues from way back you can look on page 16 of the May
1980 issue and find an article on the Use of Soundboard Springs written by
John Bloch with some reservations.  If your stack of Journals doesn't go
back that far, Guy, give me your snail mail address and I'll send you a
copy. The photos and drawings that go along with the article will look very
familiar to you.

Ted Simmons
Merritt Island, FL

>>   On TOP of the central belly beam, directly under the tenor bridge, about
>> where notes 36 thru 40 cross the bridge, is a collection of hardware that
>> just doesn't look like factory installation. The pile consists of a nut (or
>> bolt head)and washer on the beam, with a washer-type thing on top, and a
>> heavy coiled spring bridging the remaining gap to the bottom of the board,
>> where it seems to push up on the board (with a BIG flat washer), right
>> under the bridge. It's very secure, although when agitated, it does make a
>> little noise. It's hard to tell if there's a lot of lost energy due to the
>> board being connected to the beam in this manner, but never-the-less, I've
>> not seen a factory install of such a device, nor have I seen a "repair"
>> like this before. Any Kawai guys on the list from way back when this puppy
>> was made? Would you have done this? Perhaps the studio owner needs to talk
>> to the dealership. I didn't think that their tech was that.....inventive.
>> Who knows. I DON'T!
>>         Thanks for any feedback,
>> Guy
>> Guy Nichols, RPT
>> nicho@lascruces.com
>>         "Irreversibility is the mechanism that brings order from chaos"
>>                                                 Prigogine
>
>My goodness, some of us have short memories. Either that, or I’ve been
>around too long. Or, perhaps, there are just some things we’d all prefer
>to forget...
>
>As may be, this idea and practice was popular about 30 or so years ago.
>Although it was probably done more often in old uprights than it was in
>grands. When I was very (repeat: very!) new to the trade I remember
>actually attending a PTG class on the subject somewhere in southern
>California—either Anaheim or LA—way back when.
>
>The idea was, as you can imagine, to "restore" crown. Occasionally
>several were placed along the bridge line. The more "sophisticated"
>setups were made adjustable. (I don't remember—if I ever knew—just what
>the criteria was for adjustment.) I do remember a debate on the type of
>spring to be used; I think the winner was a progressively wound Corvette
>V8 intake valve spring. It was supposed to be free of miscellaneous
>vibrations that would color the sound, or something like that. I’m not
>altogether sure that there wasn’t at least one or two drawings or
>pictures in the Journal at one time or another.
>
>How does the piano sound with the devise? Have you tried taking it out?
>If so, how does the piano sound with it out?
>
>Ah, time flies...
>
>—ddf