[pianotech] New stuff at the convention?

[Clark Sprague]

There were at least 2 pianos at the Convention that had the agraffe system. 
One was a retro-fit Baldwin R. Come to think of it, was there 3 pianos that 
had it?  I know that one had a carbon-fiber soundboard (actually a layer of 
composite sandwiched between two layers of wood).
    I was in the class that they gave in the mini-technicals, and heard the 
composite board piano played.  After the class, I asked David Hughes what he 
thought.  His thoughts echoed mine, in that the sustain was killer.  But the 
tone of the piano reminded me of listening to a digital sample of a concert 
grand.  I wasn't sure how else to describe it, and David agreed with me.

Clark A. Sprague, RPT

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "William Truitt" <surfdog at metrocast.net>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 6:16 PM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] New stuff at the convention?


> Please correct me if I am wrong, but I was of the impression that the
> Steingraeber Phoenix that was displayed at the convention had a carbon 
> fiber
> composite soundboard. I wasn't able to attend this year, so I didn't get 
> to
> hear a piano that I am very curious about.  How did the sound of this 
> piano
> compare with a piano with a conventional spruce soundboard?  I would love 
> to
> have the reactions of some good ears - the good, the bad, and the ugly. 
> And
> hopefully from some who were able to hear it with a reasonable measure of
> quiet.  Be as descriptive of the tone as you can.
>
> And Ron, is your concern that the too shorter bridge will lack even more
> stiffness than the already too short one? If that bridge could be 
> stiffened
> adequately by some other means, would that be enough to mollify your
> concerns?
>
> Will Truitt
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On 
> Behalf
> Of Ron Nossaman
> Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 5:23 PM
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] New stuff at the convention?
>
> Mark Purney wrote:
>> Here are my reasons for all the fuss - I can't speak for anyone else:
>>
>> 1. More power and better dynamic range is more appealing to the pianist
>> than less power and range.
>
> Is that with just the agraffes on an otherwise typical
> soundboard, or agraffes on the carbon composite board?
>
>
>  > Are there any downsides, beyond the fact it will cost more?
>
> One that I can think of off the top. The already too short (in
> a lot of cases) high treble bridge will have to be another 4mm
> or so shorter to accommodate the agraffe. Why didn't the piano
> with the conventional soundboard have agraffes in the top
> section? I wonder.
>
> Also, how many of you have added the rough equivalent of the
> total agraffe mass to a conventional bridge top and listened?
>
> Ron N
>
>