superlightweight piano

[Mark Story]

With current technology and materials, there is definitely a bottom limit
with piano weight. In order to terminate the strings firmly and minimize
harmonic energy loss to the terminating structure (plate and back), you must
have mass. I suppose that with lighter stringing you could decrease the
required mass, but at a cost of sound quality. An interesting test of this
approach is the old Baldwin Electropiano or Yamaha CP series. The early
versions (Baldwin) had three-string unisons in the treble, and in place of
the soundboard/bridge structure they had a piezo-electric pickup strip that
took the place of the bridge. While working OK with the low energy
requirements of the electronic pickup, I can't imagine an acoustic
soundboard/bridge construction that would be sufficient to compare with a
conventional piano. I suppose if you could settle for less power and thinner
tone, you could use lighter stringing and support - but then you would just
be re-inventing the fortepiano.


Mark Story. RPT
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, Washington

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]  On Behalf
Of toto@fovea.pndr.upenn.edu
Sent:	Wednesday, April 18, 2001 6:51 AM
To:	pianotech@ptg.org
Cc:	toto@fovea.pndr.upenn.edu
Subject:	superlightweight piano


> I'm thinking -- is it
> possible to have a piano weigh under 100 pounds?
> I was thinking a height of about 30 inches
> and a width of about 51 inches and a weight under 85
> pounds (50 preferred but don't think is possible --
> doubtful if even under 100 is possible).

Stephen,

I like the idea of a super-lightweight piano. If the piano were reduced
to the minimum components, no case, lightweight composite or titanium
frame/plate/keybed, spruce soundboard, composite action frame, etc.
The weight of the bass strings might be a significant part of the
total weight.

You are doing the kind of thinking that expands the envelope.  Burt Rutan
does this with airplanes (with extensive use of composite materials).
I hope that someone will pick up this idea someday and run with it.

Larry Toto
Philadelphia