lightweight pianos

Wimblees@AOL.COM Wimblees@AOL.COM
Tue, 17 Apr 2001 20:08:47 EDT


---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
In a message dated 4/17/01 1:55:10 PM Central Daylight Time, 
stephen_airy@yahoo.com writes:


> I was wondering -- what is the smallest it is possible
> to build a piano and still have 88 keys?  

The biggest problem is making a plate that will hold the tension of the 
strings. Some high tech plastic or other lightweight metal will have to take 
the place of the cast iron plate, which is about 2/3rd of the weight of a 
piano. The other heavy part is the cabinet. Again, a plastic or light weight 
wood would need to be used. The action and keys would also have to be made of 
plastic, (except for the hammers and dampers, of course). The strings and 
presumable the tuning pins will still have to be made of steel. If money is 
no object, perhaps you can find a plastic company to come up with making all 
the parts. 

But even if you could get the piano to weigh less than 100 pounds, it might 
still be hard for one person to pick it up because of the size. It is not 
that easy to carry a 100 pound item that is about 5 feet wide, 20 inches 
deep, and 30 inches tall out in front of you. Unless you can jerk it up over 
your head.

Willem 

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/87/33/be/8e/attachment.htm

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--


This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC