[pianotech] YC Capo Bars

[Ron Nossaman]

On 9/19/2010 6:11 PM, Roger Gable wrote:
> Will,
> I'll use another word(s), "nasal" or "tight". I've noticed that
> laminated bridges create a sound associated with the facial expressions,
> such as when you squint or grimace or even the tightening of the jaw.

Roger,
While I'm sure you've heard pianos with laminated bridges that sound 
lousy, as have I, it wasn't the laminated bridge or bridge cap that did 
it. Quite the contrary. A dense laminated cap makes for a better and 
cleaner termination than solid beech or maple.


> Another associated tag that might point in the right
> direction is the sound we hear from low cost (cheap) imports in the 5
> and 6 octave range -- an obvious impedance mismatch either from hammer
> to string, or string to bridge.

No, that's a soundboard problem, most readily apparent in compression 
crowned soundboard assemblies. The board isn't stiff enough there. 
Steinway is notorious for killer octave problems, without benefit of 
either laminated bridge caps, or soundboard panels.


>Remember the Kimball grands of the 70's
> and 80's, how "pinched" they sounded.

They did, but that wasn't the fault of the bridges. It was the fault of 
the scale and soundboard design.


>Can anybody help (rescue) me here.
> My association of that similar sound comes from the cheap (low cost)
> laminated boards on consoles made by Story and Clark.

You're demonstrating more vividly with each sentence that it's the lousy 
overall piano, and not the laminated bridge cap that is the problem.

Ron N