Hi Ron. Just FWIW, these Wissners almost remind me of a Decker Bros. piano. They make most 9-foot concert grands look like play toys. Very massive rims and framing. To the best of my knowledge, these are Steinway clones, as I think I heard that Mr. Wissner worked at Steinway for some period of time. But clearly, they are not cheap imitations, but rather a nice foundation to build a really nice piano! (I wish I owned one!) Terry Farrell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron Overs" <sec@overspianos.com.au> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2003 6:43 PM Subject: Re: Unusual rib structure? > Hi Sarah, > > Its an interesting piano you have. > > >OK, there's something about my piano (1933 Wissner 9') that > >seems odd (in my limited experience), and I've just got to ask. My > >soundboard ribs have an unusual structure (I think), and I'm > >uncertain as to the purpose. Most of the ribs are "tied" together > >with one of two small cross-braces. > > I can't see how the ties can do anything to either enhance the > structure of the board or its function tonally. They remind me of the > tie strap across the bass corner ribs of a model B Steinway, which > also are of doubtful benefit. > > > Counting from the keyboard, high treble end of the soundboard, the > >first brace starts around the center, keyboard-end of the soundboard > >at rib 8 and continues leftward and towards the tail through rib 13. > >Then from the other end of rib 13 (right side of the piano), another > >brace starts and extends towards rib 17 in the tail. Ribs 1-7 and > >rib 18 have no cross-braces. > > An 18 rib design, while the D has 17 in the latest offerings at least. > > > Here are some photos: > > > ><http://www.wonderfulhome.info/soundboard1.jpg>www.wonderfulhome.info/soundboard1.jpg > ><http://www.wonderfulhome.info/soundboard1.jpg>www.wonderfulhome.info/soundboard2.jpg > ><http://www.wonderfulhome.info/soundboard1.jpg>www.wonderfulhome.info/soundboard3.jpg > > Looking at what appears to be the fifth rib from the bass Sarah (the > rib which in jpg 3 runs to the top LH corner of the image), the rib > appears to be quite deep in the centre. They look suspiciously like > they are rib crowned. Would you mind measuring the overall rib depths > at their centres? I'd be interested to know what they are. > > > > >The ribs on the cross-brace end are not smoothly tapered the way I > >think of most ribs being. Rather, they are reduced in tiers, and > >the cross-braces run across the tiers. The rib ends without > >cross-bracing are tapered in the conventional manner. > > > >So... Why was this done? Was it a way of stiffening the soundboard? > > I would speculate that the designer was interested in achieving a > graduation in the sudden reduction of the rib section modulus of a > conventionally feathered rib. The stepped feathering would probably > cause the panel deflection to be somewhat more progressive. Mind you, > this may not necessarily be desirable. For me at least, the 'jury is > still out' on this matter. > > >. The bass on this piano is incredibly rich, powerful, and mellow, > >and the sustain is unbelievable. > > The tiered feathering should allow quite a substantial impedance > reduction in the panel behind the bass bridge. I would expect this > piano to have quite a dark tone in the bass. > > I'll be interested to hear other observations of others re the feathering. > > Ron O. > > -- > _______________________ > > OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY > Grand Piano Manufacturers > > Web: http://overspianos.com.au > mailto:info@overspianos.com.au > _______________________
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