S&S D Duplex

Richard Brekne Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no
Tue, 19 Nov 2002 20:03:05 +0100


Well, I cant honestly say I know for sure what to make of all this. Sarahs
posting the other day made quite a bit of sense to me for sure. I do have an "on
the side" experiment I can do. Perhaps you all can come up with the experiment,
and I can do the actual manipulations / measurings.

The patient is a Bluther specimen. Model 4 grand serial number 148285.
Reasonably ok sounding, but has been accused of being rather "boring" in sound.
Nothing "exciting" about it. I personally experience these kind of comments in
pianos that either are voiced to death or lack that little bit of string
brightness bordering on harsh / brashy sounds... just a tad of string noise
perhaps.

Now this piano is voiced pretty bright. And older set of Able standards that are
soon to be replaced. But the back scale is kind of strange compared to what I
have looked at these past couple years. From G4 down the whole back scale is
muted with felt, crossing a brass half round (also covered with the same felt)
that is about 1.5 inches from the back bridgepin. This is pretty much the whole
way down to the tenor. G#4 to C#6 has an unmuted back length with the string
going over a brass halfround. At G#6 the unison left crosses at 2.5 inches and
the unison right at 2.125 inchs. This graduates to a corresponding 1.5 and 1.125
at C#6.  D6  measures at about 1 inch on all three strings, graduating to 1.5
inches on C8. Actually, it looks like they just positioned the brass halfrounds
to follow the edge of the plate. Great plan !..

So !... I have been considering moving this back a bit. There is much more
length  in each of these sections back from the half round to the hitch pins...
so I have lots of room to fool with.

While I cant get a true "Tuned" duplex with out changing out the half rounds, I
can probably position these two in the upper sections in either a better or a
worse position then they are now. My origional thinking was to simply get more
flexiblility for the bridge and "see how it worked". But if anyone has an idea
that might somehow contribute to the present discussion, I'd be willing to carry
it out if I can. I suppose I can even go so far as to ordering Aliquotes (grin).
Seriously tho.. it be fun and instructive for me.

RicB

Delwin D Fandrich wrote:

> In my opinion the tuned-duplex technology remains a questionable technology
> and is one which--as we develop a more accurate picture of how the piano
> really works--we should be moving beyond and leaving behind.
>
> Now, having said all of this, I should add that if a manufacturer does
> choose to use a tuned duplex system it should at least be used correctly.
> So, hang in there....
>
> Regards,
>
> Del
>
> _______________________________________________
> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives




--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
UiB, Bergen, Norway
mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html



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