Bird-Cages/Fogger/Snide remarks

[Robert Wilson]

--- Richard Brekne <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
wrote:
> Joseph Garrett wrote:
> 
> > All,
> > Would you put a "Fogger" in a Steinway K52?
> > My personal opinion about the snide remarks re.
> Bird-cage pianos is: you
> > either are too inept to be able to tune one
> properly OR you are busy/lazy
> > enough, so that you can condem ALL Bird-cage
> pianos without worrying about
> > lose of revenue or reputation. Yes, my Flame Suit
> is in place. I'm really
> > getting tired of the comments, re Bird-cages. My
> question to all who would
> > condem is: Do you know the purpose of the design?
> If you can answer that,
> > then we'll talk.
> > Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)
> 
> I think I do.... damper system is gravity driven....
> as in grands, which
> yields different touch dynamics. Also it is my
> understanding that these
> actions were designed with a bit of .....
> after-klang figured into the
> equation as a desireable.
> 

Overdampers were considered inferior as they are less
effective than, say a grand, where the damper falls
nearer to the place where the string is struck or an
underdamper which is more positive due to the damper
springs.

Overdampers seem to work better with straight strung
pianos.  Occasionally, one finds a transitional piano
where the change to overstringing still has
overdampers, these are tricky and time consuming to
regulate as they damp at an oblique angle and easily
impede each other if not finely adjusted.

For all that, the best quality German pianos are still
comparable with the later, underdampers.  I rather
have an affection for these instruments which is just
as well as we still have plenty of them around here! 
They get the same, careful servicing as any other
piano in my care.

Bob Wilson
London.

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