Soundboard installation, next topic : the glue

[Stéphane Collin]

Hi John (and David).

Indeed, this is the case with the 1873 Bechstein I'm working on, and on all
Bechstein pianos I have seen so far (that are pre WWII Bechstein pianos).
Eleven big screws go from the top of the plate through a block of hard wood
(running all along the portion of the perimeter that is under the plate)
which is glued on the soundboard, which is glued on the rim.  I see no
chance that the board can move even with no glue at all.

While we are here, this fact, together with the fact that Bechstein
soundboards are 8 mm thick all way around, and not tapered, can maybe
explain that feeling that I have that Bechstein pre war pianos seem to be a
bit less responsive than, say, Steinway pianos, with their tapered and not
clamped diaphragmatic boards.  Again, the Steinway design seems, as in many
other places, superior.
Yet, I happened often to have side by side a Steinway and a similar sized
Bechstein, and I must say that I spent much more time playing the Bechstein
piano.  Question of charm.  And of course, no, the Bechstein can not do
effortless all what the Steinway can, but what he can do, he does so well.
You simply have to follow him to where he leads you, and you have a damn
good time, while the Steinway will follow you where you want.  Just my
subjective view, but maybe related to design issues ?  Throws in the
specious idea that charm can be determined by limitations.  Think of black
and white photography, which can outperform color pictures.

Best regards.

Stéphane Collin.

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of John Delacour


Not usually in American pianos perhaps.  Very usually in English and 
German pianos.  On the older ones the hardwood strip is screwed down 
on top of the soundboard so that the board is clamped even before the 
metal frame goes in.

JD