[pianotech] YC Capo Bars

[Roger Gable]

Del,
I believe your correct to assume that cost is the driving factor for using 
horizontally laminated bridges. In reading the various responses I believe 
there is a consensus developing as to the pros and cons of laminated bridges 
and bridge caps. The beginning of this thread started off on the wrong foot 
when it was discovered that we were not all talking about the same thing --  
bridge caps verses bridges. That being solved, this is what I believe can be 
derived at this point from the thread.
Laminated caps are a plus to the stability of tuning and the development of 
false beats. The selection of different materials will always be debatable, 
but the concept is a plus for the piano industry. From the description of 
construction, the cap, having thin laminates adhered to under great 
pressure, essentially create a solid unit. The resin form a single unit 
where the layers of the saturated wood impose little reflective character 
within the laminate. But the horizontally laminated bridge is a different 
"animal". Horizontally laminated bridges have be constructed, up to now, by 
using a thicker wood laminate where the resin doesn't penetrate the various 
layers of wood as much as the capping system This would create problems with 
tonal development because of my submarine analyst, where energy waves would 
be reflected at each laminate. It would be reasonable to assume that the 
vertically orientated laminated bridge has the opposite effect, whereas the 
energy has a clear uninterrupted path to the soundboard. What do you think? 
Anybody?
Roger Gable
P.S. I'm off to a chapter meeting

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Delwin D Fandrich" <del at fandrichpiano.com>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, September 20, 2010 4:34 PM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] YC Capo Bars


Cost. If memory serves these things were cut out of large planks using NC
bandsaws. There was very little waste involved. Less, I'd guess, than making
the bridge body out of solid stock. And less labor than making up vertically
laminated bodies and capping them with anything. In reasonably high
production it is easier--cheaper--to make maple plywood out of peeled maple
veneer of indeterminate grade and cut out the whole bridge at one time on an
NC machine than to select reasonably high grade solid stock for a bridge
body and cap it. Or to glue up a vertically laminated body, trim it to
height and cap that with whatever.

ddf

Delwin D Fandrich
Piano Design & Fabrication
620 South Tower Avenue
Centralia, Washington 98531 USA
del at fandrichpiano.com
ddfandrich at gmail.com
Phone 360.736.7563


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Ron Nossaman
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2010 6:28 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] YC Capo Bars

I don't know why Kimball did it, except they knew it made a good solid
bridge and were willing to suffer the waste of material for the convenience.
It will indeed make a good solid bridge. You just have to put a piano under
it.