V Pro discussion

[Richard Moody]

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> From: Robert A. Anderson <fndango@azstarnet.com>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: V Pro discussion
> Date: Saturday, August 14, 1999 11:36 AM
> 
> This discussion reminded me of something I read quite a while ago. I
> quote from Edward McMorrow's THE EDUCATED PIANO (ISBN 0-929738-00-4),
> pp. 7,8:
> 
> "The plates with the best acoustic properties are those in which a soft
> grey iron has been formed during the casting process. This soft iron
> damps metallic ringing sounds and hammer noise more than any other type
> of ferrous material. This damping ability is maximized when the casting
> cools slowly. Slow cooling also produces a soft metal, which
> significantly reduces breakage of the strings at the plate termination
> point...
> Comments, anyone?
> 
> Bob Anderson
> Tucson, AZ

Don't some plates say "bell metal" ?   Is "bell metal" soft?  Re termination points,
in grands that would be the agraffes.  Well there is the capo d'astro, but that is
supposed to be hardened in some (many, most??) cases.   So I was wondering how
plates with "soft metal" , "significantly reduces breakage of the strings at the
plate termination point", and if indeed that is a feature piano makers utilize.    
ric