Sohmer

[Farrell]

  ".....hat the only one I've ever worked  has reverse crown and I do belive it intentional. but the downbearing force  was pushing towards the floor in the usual way."

Maybe yes, maybe no, but not necessarily. I had a new Steinway a few years back that had a full 1/4" reverse crown with plenty of downbearing. I have never heard of Steinway doing that intentionally.

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Erwinspiano@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2002 8:12 PM
Subject: Re: Sohmer


> In a message dated 3/20/2002 11:12:38 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
> hufford1@airmail.net writes:
> 
> 
> > Subj:Re: Sohmer 
> > Date:3/20/2002 11:12:38 PM Pacific Standard Time
> > From:<A HREF="mailto:hufford1@airmail.net">hufford1@airmail.net</A>
> > Reply-to:<A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>
> > To:<A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>
> > Sent from the Internet 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Dale,
> >      I have a Sohmer 9B in the shop.  It has conventional crown which is
> > about 1/8 in the middle.  This is after restringing and being within 1/2
> > step of pitch.   I think these are great pianos and I like their bridge
> > agraffe system.  This particular Sohmer had a very pronounced long crack
> > running about an inch and a half or so in front of the bridge.  This
> > crack, which I have seen on several other Sohmers in virtually the same
> > configuration, is obvious stress relief from the forces produced by the
> > bridge operating and pulling on the board, that is, relief of shearing
> > stresses.  
> >   >.....Are you saying that the strings are pulling up on the board???????
> >             If so that would explain it. And how bizarre.
> 
>  >>>>>>>>      Hi Robin---It's interesting that the only one I've ever worked 
> has reverse crown and I do belive it intentional. but the downbearing force 
> was pushing towards the floor in the usual way. The bass bridge was the usual 
> arrangement of pins.
>   The other interesting note is that the piano was selected from a showroom 
> where they had a wide selection of pianos and this one had more of what they 
> wanted and people in the know frequently commented on what an wonderful and 
> unusual sound this piano had. Really it's wonderful. When I first sat down to 
> play it I was in immediate love. Being a sustain freak this piano was like 
> holding notes down on an organ. By the way ,I'm not prone to exaggeration, 
> just know a good ax when I hear it.
> 
> >       In the one in the shop the ribs were dowelled to the board in this
> > area and the crack was filled with epoxy.  This crack is about the only
> > characteristic failure of  the c. 6 feet Sohmers with the agraffe system
> > I have seen, although, as I have seen perhaps, only 8 or 9 over the
> > years, this may be a generalization on shaky grounds. The factory,
> > apparently, was aware of this as they have attached on the botton side
> > of the board, under the bridge, a long reinforcing strip of maple, let
> > in and passing through the ribs. The crack occurs in front of this
> > strip.
> 
>        <<<<<<<<<An obvious factory flaw
> 
> >   As to the agraffe termination at the bridge, I think this works
> > quite well and, is probably a better, but more expensive mousetrap.
> > Perhaps the expense is not that much more than the conventional method
> > but I would guess that it would be as the bridge requires, of course,
> > planing, notching of a somewhat different fashion,  the maple strip,
> > notching of ribs, AND an agraffe and its installation.  The ringtime of
> > this system seems distinctly superior to my ear in comparison to the
> > conventional method.
> 
> >>>>>>>>Me too--Regards-------------Dale Erwin>>>>>>>>>>
> 
> > Regards, Robin Hufford
> > 
> 
>