The Steinway Bell Patent

[Phillip Ford]

I imagine it must have some mysterious, Steinwayesque function.  It's probably
part of the magic circle of sound.  Oops, lost my head there for a second... 
It is curious that they chose to use it since a beam would probably be
cheaper.  Perhaps marketing explains it, but I doubt CFT Steinway was that
taken in by his own PR.  I had an AB Chase concert grand that had a bell of a
different design.  Similar to the Steinway bell but it spanned over to the
belly rail, like a beam.  It was made of cast iron, was quite massive, and a
nosebolt went down to it.  I was mystified as to why they chose to use this
since it seemed to be serving the function of a beam, but would be more
expensive (I would think).  Does the cast iron have some magical property that
wood doesn't have for this application?  Could it perhaps be the mass?

Phil F

> > >One of the functions of the
> nosebolt--probably their most important
> > >function--is to couple the plate to some
> belly structure and prevent it
> > >(the plate) from vibrating. The bell/bolt
> arrangement is simply another
> > >form of nosebolt.
> > >
> > >Del
> >
> >
> > And in an area where the piano would have
> likely benefited from a beam to
> > the belly rail anyway.
> >
> > Ron N
> 
> 
> And in an area where the piano would have
> certainly been better off with a
> beam to the belly rail anyway. I can't see how
> the bell/bolt arrangement is
> any better than a beam and it does nothing to
> stabilize the bellyrail.
> 
> Del
> 
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