Steinway B Scaling

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: January 08, 2003 3:21 AM
Subject: Re: Steinway B Scaling


> David, Scott
>
> I am not exactly sure what he means by "more of a Yamaha characteristic
> sound" ? But it seems like he is after more growl and more brightness
> without getting all metalic. I have already juiced the hammers a bit,
> and added a temporary gram of mass in the bottom 12 hammers (clips) and
> it seemed to help, but he still is not quite happy. Removing the clips
> made him less happy so it seems he wants something of what the added
> mass is giving him.
>
> Seems like he wants what he thinks is the Yamaha bass... upto about C2,
> and then he wants what he has in the "B".
>
> He has heard from another technician some things about rescaling the
> bass and I suppose he's in doubt as to whether or not he should spend
> the money.
>
> Cheers
>
> RicB


I tend to agree with whoever it was that said something like, "If he wants a
Yamaha bass he should get a Yamaha."

Rescaling the bass of a piano will do many things but it will not make a
Steinway B sound like a Yamaha. Nor should it be expected to.

Rescaling can even things out -- the bass scale of the Model B (like most of
the early scales) is some erratic. If the rescaling efforts are extended up
into the tenor section a bit it can smooth out a rather awkward bass/tenor
crossover. It can open up the low mono-chord section -- the Model B scale
starts out using 0.063" (1.6 mm) core wire, the flexibility of which is
approaching that of a steel rod.

But rescaling the bass will not make it sound like a Yamaha. Nor will it
make the piano sound "a foot longer." Nor will it make the piano sound
appreciably more "powerful."

No, the idea with this kind of work -- whether its simple string rescaling
or whole piano redesign -- is (or at least should be) to make the piano
sound more like the original piano but without the knarlies. Without the
thuddy, indistinct bass. Without the uneven bass/tenor crossover. And
without the weak, percussive upper tenor and treble sections. But otherwise
retaining the essential character if the original. Even our own extensive
redesign work leaves the piano with the essential character if the original.
Though the "original" we're referring to harkens back to an earlier,
somewhat warmer and more melodic (musical?) age.

All of which leaves the question: Could a Steinway B bass be "rescaled" to
sound like a Yamaha?" Well, yes, it could. At least we could come close. The
whole bass will have to be scaled to a somewhat higher tension. Of course,
that will overload the soundboard assembly so it will have to be replaced
with one that is considerably stiffer than the original. Since the original
B tenor/treble scaling will lack the energy to drive this new soundboard,
the strings up there will have to be rescaled as well. A bit more length and
mass (& tension) should do the trick. Now, since the original hammers will
lack the dynamic energy needed to drive the soundboard, they will have to be
replaced with something both more dense and more massive. This,
unfortunately, will overload the action so we'll have to do something about
that. And, finally, we'll have to be prepared for the owner complaining that
the whole piano sounds just like a Yamaha.... But, not to worry! With just a
little rescaling we can fix that....

Del