Bluthner soundboard

[Mark Story]

I rebuilt one of these about 12 years ago. It's now in the Washington State
capital building. I agree that the screws in the board are probably the
source of the confusion. This piano seems to match in every other way the
eBay piano. The board was flat; no tone; the pinblock was too bad. I think
it was about the same age too. Doesn't have the "patent" action, but the
strings were awfully high with respect to the keybed and hf center. This
wasn't a real antique restoration, so I replaced the soundboard with a Posey
panel without screwing the board to the ribs. I figured with new adhesives
and not a tropical climate, it would be a shame to drill all those extra
holes in the sb and ribs, and load it down with a bunch of screws.

Mark


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
Of Brian Trout
Sent: Friday, March 15, 2002 2:31 PM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: Re: Bluthner soundboard


Hi Ron,

Are you sure you saw what you think you saw??

I have seen at least one original Bluthner
soundboard with screws down through the
soundboard into each rib.  It might give the
appearance of a soundboard installed on top of
the old one.  Really, I don't think that the
screws, in and of themselves, would necessarily
be destructive to piano tone.  (Ugly, yes...) I
wouldn't like the fact that it would somewhat
weaken the load carrying capacity of the ribs,
though.  But many people put a dowel right up
through the center of a load bearing rib, through
the soundboard and into the bridge(s).  I don't
like that either, but many people do it.  (I
don't.)

As far as weak tone, it may well need a new
soundboard.  I would suspect it would regardless
of the screws.  Much could be action related too.

There are quite a number of factors that might be
there that you also haven't mentioned.  You do
say that the action is way out of regulation.  Is
this one of the "Bluthner Patent" actions?  If it
is, it is radically different than a standard
grand piano action and it would regulate much
differently.  It would also play differently.
But as Newton Hunt once told me, DON'T RUIN IT!!!
 Yes, they are different, but when they are
rebuilt / refurbished, and PROPERLY regulated,
they have a wonderful touch and feel that you
won't find on modern pianos.  It doesn't repeat
as quickly, but it plays so very smooooooooth.

(I am assuming that this isn't one with the
fourth string on each of the long bridge unisons.
 You would no doubt have mentioned it.  I haven't
seen one of those yet, but hope to someday.)

If you hear and learn more about this piano,
please pass it along to the list.  I'm sure there
are quite a few who would be interested.

Best wishes,

Brian T.



=====
Brian Trout
Grand Restorations
3090 Gause Blvd., #202
Slidell, LA  70461
985-649-2700
GrandRestorations@yahoo.com

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