large uprights

[Farrell]

>>  in a Spinet, why couldn't they put the bass tuning pins
> > along the upper left side running vertically and the bass bridge at the
> > opposite corner?

I just ran into such a beast the other day. The piano was the subject of my
recent post regarding and epoxy repair on a bass bridge. The piano is a
"Spinet Grand". It is a grand piano (in that the strings are horizontal) and
measures 37" deep by 60" wide, i.e. it is a 3' 1" grand piano.

To get some length on the bass strings, the tuning pins start near the front
edge of the plate above A0 and run along the left side of the piano (along
where the A0 string would normally be, or along the side where the lid
hinges would normally be). Then the bass strings run across and over the
plain wires over to the bass bridge which is located near the right rear
corner of the rectangular piano. It has a normal grand action with
repetition levers and the whole shot - except in the bass section where the
rails are angled toward the rear of the piano (I guess - I have not taken
the action out). The tenor and treble hammers and belly rail, etc. are as in
a normal grand piano, BUT the bass hammers and belly rail turn about a 75
degree corner and angle toward the rear of the piano. It's kinda wierd, but
necessary to allow the bass hammers to hit the bass strings.

And I suppose you could do this on a vertical spinet, but I guess it would
pose a tad of a problem to design and action. As one much wiser than I has
stated:

>" I can find no rational excuse for continuing to build spinet pianos.
> Regardless of the length of their bass strings.  (I still haven't figured
> out why they were introduced in the first place.)"


Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Delwin D Fandrich" <pianobuilders@olynet.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, November 17, 2000 12:41 PM
Subject: Re: large uprights


> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Stephen Airy" <stephen_airy@yahoo.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: November 15, 2000 8:22 AM
> Subject: large uprights
> >
> > Another idea:  in a Spinet, why couldn't they put the bass tuning pins
> > along the upper left side running vertically and the bass bridge at the
> > opposite corner?  Is it possible to get longer strings that
> > way?  Considering, for example, a 37" high 57" wide spinet, I don't
think
> > it would be impossible to have strings approaching 54 - 57", would
> > it?  They are probably only 40" in most spinets these days.
>
> No, it would not be impossible to do this.  Getting an action in there
with
> real hammers that could actually strike this string at the right spot
might
> well be, however.  There are a whole bunch of technical/acoustical
problems
> that would crop up in laying out a workable soundboard and bridge system,
as
> well.  I can't imagine how you would be able to get a bass/tenor break
that
> didn't sound like it was coming from two completely different pianos.
>
> As may be, why would you want to do this?  If the idea is to take up less
> space, consider that it is usually floor space that is at a premium.
> Spinets generally take up more floor space than do their only slightly
> larger console/studio counterparts.
>
> I can find no rational excuse for continuing to build spinet pianos.
> Regardless of the length of their bass strings.  (I still haven't figured
> out why they were introduced in the first place.)
>
> Del
>
>
>
>