Ideal speaking length of A-0

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Airy" <stephenairy@fastmail.fm>
To: "Piano Tech list - PTG" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: February 22, 2003 6:23 PM
Subject: Re: Ideal speaking length of A-0


> A YC PG-150 baby grand (4'11") seems to have a length of 43.5".  My mom's
> piano sounds horrible in most of the bass section.  I wonder if the tail
> lengths are too short...  it has almost no sustain, and is only 4 years
> old, and isn't much worse than when it was new.
>
> Question....  How would you figure ideal length in verticals?  for
> example, a 37" spinet that is 57" wide vs a 45" studio that's 60" wide vs
> a 52" professional at 63", and a 60" upright with 72" width?  I've seen
> variations of several inches in the same size piano.  Personally, I like
> a sound thath as a fairly good amount of sustain, and has a lot of
> richness in the upper harmonics, and preferably also have those harmonics
> be "in tune" with the fundamental.
>

See "The Problem of Small Pianos -- Part I," The Piano Technician's Journal,
July 1997 and "The Problem of Small Pianos -- Part II," April 1998. One of
these days I may get around to Part III.

Del