Blüthner Tuning

[Avery]

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I know it's late, but I found this at work today.=20
Just in case anyone is interested!

Avery

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John,

Here's something that Ted Sambell wrote in Oct. 1996 while still at
the Banff Centre. I've only tuned one but his post seems to cover it
pretty well. Below that one, there's also a post of Newton's.

You might also want to c
heck with Reeder Pianos,
Inc. in Lansing,
Michigan @ 800-225-8641. Jim really knows Bl=FCthners, is an excellent
rebuilder and can answer all your questions. His web page is:


http://www.reederpianos.com


Avery

At 02:14 PM 9/17/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>Are there any "tricks" to tuning the Bl=FCthner grand? What is the 4th
>string tuned to?
>
>
>Thanks!
>
>John Minor
>University of Illinois



In response to your inquiry about tuning Bl=FCthner grands;
here at the Banff Centre we have six of them, built in
Leipzig before the Berlin wall came down. I just looked
at a Model 4 (about 6' 8" I believe) and I think the
disposition is typical of the other models.

Anyway, only the two treble sections have the fourth string, there are
none in the bass or tenor. The lower treble runs from G47 to C#65 and
there is a separate bridge at the midpoint of the soundboard through
which these strings pass via brass studs screwed into the bridge.
The top section has the same kind of studs screwed directly into the
main bridge. There is an additional damper felt glued to the sides
of the damper head.

The clue to tuning the extra string is the length; in the lower
treble, the strings are half the length of the 'parent' note so
the inverse law (half the length equals double the frequency) of
vibrating strings applies. Therefore, the strings must be tuned
an octave higher. The top treble strings are the same length as
their notes, so are tuned in unison.

As you noted, the fourth strings are not struck, as they pass
through a raised hole added to the side of the agraffes, and
are intended to resonate without being activated by the hammers.

Using muting strips is inappropriate when tuning these strings, in fact
totally impractical, but a single rubber mute, 3x3/4 inches and tuning
each of the three unison strings in ascending order works well. The
fourth string is plucked to pitch after the regular tuning is
completed. This is accomplished by playing each note then plucking the
extra string.

The concert model Bl=FCthner does not have the fourth strings, at least
not the modern ones. We sold ours to a community concert group.
Although it had some initial action geometry problems, we were able to
solve these, and it was a superb sounding instrument. I did not enjoy
seeing it go, but it was getting little use simply because of its
unfamiliarity. Pianists would invariably choose our Steinways, which
are also splendid instruments.

In general, the smaller Bluthners are not very satisfying, though I
have seen a newer piano which appears to have been redesigned; the
fourth string is confined to the top section and lies directly on
the bridge instead of passing through a stud. Our versions were
ordered about twelve years ago, with Renner actions instead of the
Flemming actions generally used by Bl=FCthner. I am thankful for it,
as the Flemming centers are made with plastic lined brass bushings.
These proved quite troublesome in another Bl=FCthner I used to service
for a private customer.

Like many German makers, the bass strings have cores which are
hexagonal, and they sound very good except for those near the tenor
break. I believe that the thinner copper tends to conform to the core
and become slightly out of round. This is not confined to Bl=FCthner of
course. Aside from this, the cores seem to hang up in the agraffes,
causing a fairly high breakage rate. Like you, we make our own bass
strings, but stocking hex wire is something we do not intend doing.
All in all, I wish manufacturers would stay with round wire.

Bluthners are very well made, in some respects lavishly so and with
some reservations, deserve to be as prominently known and accepted in
North America as they are in Europe.

All the best,
Ted Sambell_banffcentre.ab.ca




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Some Bluthners (pronounced Blootner, like boot) have aliquot
strings, some do not. Many of those that do, have a secondary
bridge in the tenor section which divides the aliquot string in
half. Those are tuned at an octave above the unison. Those in
the high treble are tuned as unisons.

Because of inharmonicity the octave aliquots will have a beat
in the higher partials that cannot be removed. Be aware of this
and set the aliquots to a good first and second partial. You
may not notice this difference except on the concert grands.

                 Newton







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