AB Chase Concert Grand

[Farrell]

Transfer how what wayward vibrations from what place to what place so that
they can be transformed how into audible energy by the soundboard? I think
someone has been reading too many manufacturer's tri-fold marketing
brochures again!

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "gordon stelter" <lclgcnp@yahoo.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 2:24 PM
Subject: Re: AB Chase Concert Grand


> I think that the rim and posts are there to keep the
> plate from twisting, support the soundboard, and
> transfer wayward vibrations from place to place so
> that they can be transformed into audible energy by
> the soundboard, before they are mutated into heat by
> absorption of the piano's materials.
>     They are also there so that we can "Ooooh!" at how
> big and strudy they are, and marvel about the day when
> things were "Built to Last".
>     Thump
>
>  rather than
> --- Farrell <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
> > Maybe another way to look at this is, instead of
> > addressing what supports
> > string tension, is to ask what do the wooden
> > beams/braces under the
> > soundboard do?
> >
> > I'll stick my neck out and try to answer that
> > question. Del, et. al., please
> > correct me if I am off-base on any/all of this.
> >
> > I think the braces are mostly there for stiffening
> > soundboard termination
> > components - the rim and bellyrail. (Actually, I
> > think many are there for
> > marketing purposes.) Most rims, where they are
> > curved, are relatively stiff.
> > But the flat bass side of bigger pianos and the
> > belly rail of any piano will
> > commonly benefit from the installation of braces to
> > stiffen these
> > components. The rim and belly rail need to be stiff
> > (and massive) to
> > minimize soundboard dampening.
> >
> > Better pianos will often have more, and more
> > massive, bracing for the rim
> > and belly rail. Cheap little microgrands often do
> > not have any braces. Now
> > these two pianos will have similar string tension
> > (do you think the cheap
> > little microgrand has a stronger plate to support
> > the string load all by
> > itself without being equipped with any braces?).
> > Obviously you don't need
> > braces to support the string load. But one piano
> > sounds better than the
> > other - perhaps, in part, because the better piano
> > has a rim and belly rail
> > that is stiffened with braces.
> >
> > On some pianos that are equipped with a horn, like
> > the Steinway and Bear
> > Bros. (two horns!), the beams can also support a
> > portion of the string load,
> > as Del pointed out.
> >
> > Running For Cover,
> >
> > Terry Farrell