On a Scale of One

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: Conrad Hoffsommer <hoffsoco@martin.luther.edu>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: March 02, 2000 3:43 AM
Subject: Re: On a Scale of One


> I also have a CF Stein 5'2" here which says it has an "Equitension Scale".
> Scanning down that printout I see tensions from 170-200 in tenor section,
> and 140-182 in upper sections.  _Average_ tensions for tenor section is
> 172, and treble is 174, so that is about the same.  Bass section average
is
> 208  and top treble is 160 - definitely not "equi".  Maybe some things are
> more equal than others?? ;-}

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Until fairly recently stringing scales were a vague sort of thing with many
piano builders.  (With some, it still is.)  'Equitension' may have appeared
only on the original designer's or draftsman's table, assuming that there
was a designer involved, of course.  There may not have been.  According to
those writing about such things in the 1920's very few manufacturers
actually developed their own stringing scales.  Most were blatant copies or
adaptations of existing scales that somebody in the company either liked or
could easily--i.e., cheaply--get their hands on.  You know, sort of like
piano building these days.  Nearly all of the 'new' pianos coming out of
China are copies of some existing piano.  And the piano inside may have no
relationship at all to the name outside.  The same has been--and still is,
to some extent--true in other countries.

Even if there was a designer involved, what appeared on his drafting table
may not be quite what showed up on the final product.  There was a rather
cavalier attitude toward bridge shape and placement with some of these old
builders.  Including some very respected names in the industry.

As may be, for whatever reason what appeared cast into the plate or boldly
claimed in the marketing literature most often had very little to do with
what was actually taking place on the factory floor or being shipped out the
door.

Even when considering instruments built by conscientious builders, we have
to remember that by the late 1920's and probably well into the late 1940's
there still existed no mathematical means of calculating the tension of
wrapped strings.  The only way to tell what one had for a bass string scale
was to actually spin the string and pull it to pitch on a test jig of some
sort and measure it mechanically.  This was a time consuming and tedious
process and was not often done.  More frequently the string winder was given
some string lengths or a pattern and told to wrap the strings appropriately.
The string winder would give the manufacturer a string set based on what he
was wrapping for other manufacturers using either the same scale (see the
above) or one that was at least very similar.

Since the string winder would have no knowledge of the tenor section
characteristics, the bass strings may or may not blend with and be
appropriate for the piano.  It the match was really bad, the manufacturer
might go back to the string winder and ask for some adjustments, which would
also be made on a trial and error basis.  But still today when we order new
strings for an old 1902 Bauble Creek Model XLNT we will get them faithfully
copied unless we take the time to rescale them.  Even then you will run
across the string winder that would rather do them the old way and will
refuse to wrap to a more appropriate scale.

Ah, life in the piano world.  Progress is sometimes more regressive than it
is progressive.

Del