[pianotech] YC Capo Bars

[Ron Nossaman]

On 9/20/2010 8:39 PM, Roger Gable wrote:
> 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.

There is no great pressure involved in the assembly of (at least) my caps.


>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?

I disagree. This energy reflection at boundary glue line layers in a 
horizontally laminated structure is pretty much universally assumed as a 
standard boojum, but in tested fact, as Del indicated, it's so far 
undetectable. It's really mindlessly simple. The string moves the 
bridge, and the bridge moves the soundboard, which moves all the 
strings, etc. The less one dwells on presumed mystical vibrational 
energy waves, the closer one gets to observed and measurable results. A 
bridge and cap that is stiff, hard, and dense enough to not waste the 
string input in unnecessary compliance makes the necessary first cut. 
The rest, is paying attention.
Ron N