[pianotech] Interesting find

[David Love]

The wedges clearly have a more pronounced influence restricting the board
form moving and thereby reducing the loudness.  You can demonstrate this
pretty well in the lower part of the piano where you may have an end of the
bridge effect going and a wedge between the rib underlying the end of the
bridge and a beam (if there is one) below will definitely reduce the volume
there.  It seems to be a very localized effect. Usually it's too much and it
also creates a whiny sort of sound that may not be any better but it does
reduce the boom.  In the treble wedges will also reduce that percussive
attack and clang somewhat.  The board will sound a bit choked and if the
sustain is enhanced the choked sound is usually undesirable enough that it's
probably not worth it.  I have experimented with adding some trap springs
between ribs and bracing especially in pianos with killer octave
problems--Steinway B's have ribs and bracing in pretty much the right spot
to experiment with this.  If you are able to insert enough of them it seems
to increase the sustain slightly with an accompanying reduction in volume
(not always in a desirable way).       

David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Ron Nossaman
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 6:57 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Interesting find

On 10/19/2010 7:59 PM, David Love wrote:
> Having wacked countless wedges between ribs and beams as well as
> inserted trap springs in various parts of the piano as pictured I
> would tend to report a drop off in volume and a modest increase in
> sustain. Of course, I might be hallucinating.

Maybe, but you checked, which is the point.
Ron N