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101
The Music Trade Review
MAY 28, 1927
The Technical and Supply Department (Continued from page 99)
On the other hand, the question of how much
bearing shall in any case be given needs very
much to be investigated and decided, because
the practices of the best makers show
wide variations on either side of any line which
can be plotted as a mean of them all.
Tuner's Opinion
Any tuner will say that excessive bearing
between agraffe or capo d'astro and tuning pin
is very hard on him, since he finds that strings
so treated pull very stiffly through the bearing,
and are inclined to break easily in tuning, if
they have been allowed to drop much below
pitch. The judgment of any man who has
tuned many pianos and has carefully observed
their behavior should be taken as pretty nearly
decisive in a case like this, and my own ex-
perience as a tuner brings me into exactly the
same frame of mind. I do not like steep bear-
ing between tuning pin and agraffe pressure
bar, or capo d'astro. To my mind, bearing
should never be steeper than will just keep the
string rigid under blows. Generally speaking,
I think it safe to say that a scale can be de-
signed in any circumstances so as to allow the
slope from agraffe to tuning pin to run quite
gently and steadily without the bend in the wire
at any point exceeding 15 degrees.
Effect on Board
Similar
conditions
apply
to excessive
down bearing at the sound board bridges. Here
one of the effects, besides that of putting undue
bending strain upon the wire, at the point
where the latter reaches the upper surface of
the bridge, is to impose excessive down pres-
sure upon the board. To counteract this the
board must be made stiffer, either by thicken-
ing it, by increasing the number of its ribs, or
otherwise. Now, a rigid sound board should
indeed be less affected by internal thermo-
metric and barometer conditions. On the other
hand, such a board must be less responsive,
and inclined to vibrate less freely and with
less tonal "liveness."
Bearing thus does come to have its influence
upon tone, but only in the indirect sense men-
tioned. Otherwise we must keep continually
in mind that the principle on which bearing is
used is a mechanical principle only and has no
direct acoustic significance.
Tuners are not always the best judges of
the refinements of the piano's tonal design,
especially in matters connected with hammers
and tone regulating, but they are by all means
the best judges of the elements which control
the management of the strings. Tuners have
to tune, that is to say, to pull through bearing
bars, agraffes and pins, lengths of steel wire
tensions of which they must adjust with min-
ute delicacy. At the same time they must make
sure that the wire will remain in the state to
which it has been thus brought, until circum-
stances beyond human control have altered the
controlling conditions. Anything that interferes
with the work of tuning accurately and stably
they are sure to note; and it is therefore highly
significant that the best opinion among them
is nearly unanimous on the evils of steep
bearings.
This is one of the points on which piano
FAUST SCHOOL
OF TUNING
Standard of America
Alumni of 2 0 0 0
Piano Tuning, Pipe and Reed
Organ and Player Piano
YEAR BOOK FREE
27-29 Gainsboro Street
BOSTON, MASS.
Tuners
and Repairers
Our new illustrated catalogue of Piano and
Player Hardware Felts and Tools is now
ready. If you haven't received your copy
please let us know.
OTTO R. TREFZ, JR.
2110 Fairmount Ave.
Phila., Pa.
construction experts might well consult piano
tuners.
Correspondence
is solicited and should be addressed to William
Braid White, 5149 Agatite avenue, Chicago.
National Piano Technicians
Planning Active Sessions
Discussions of Important Subjects Having to
Do With Piano Design and Construction to
Be Held in Chicago
CHICAGO, I I I . , May 23.—A large delegation of
factory superintendents, supply men, acousti-
cians and other members representing the tech-
nical branch of the music industries will con-
vene at a one-day convention to bei held in
Chicago by the National Piano Technicians'
Association on Tuesday, June 7.
The morning session will be called to order
at 9.30 o'clock in a meeting room at the Hotel
Stevens to be followed by a luncheon. The
afternoon session will take place in the recital
hall, Room 1140, of the American Steel & Wire
Co., 208 South La Salle street, Chicago, and
be followed by a dinner at 6 o'clock as guests of
the American Steel Wire Co.
In addition to the regular business and the
election of officers, the following important
papers will be read and submitted for discus-
sion: "Lacquer Finish and Its Problems," by
S. M. Silverstein, director of Industrial Research
Division, Bigelow, Kent and Willard Co., Bos-
ton, Mass.; "A Survey of Grand Action Regu-
lating Practice," by E. S. Werolin, director of
.service departinent, Ampico Corp., New York
City; "Piano Tone Production: Its Acoustics
and Mechanics," prepared by William Braid
White, consulting engineer, American Steel and
Wire Co., Chicago; "Player Action Design Con-
sidered in Relation to Piano Construction," pre-
pared by A. K. Gutsohn, superintendent and
factory manager, Standard Pneumatic Action
Co., New York, N. Y.
The present officers of the Association, which
has made unusual progress during the past year,
are A. K. Gutsohn, president, Standard Pneu-
matic Action Co., New York City; T. H. Johan-
son, vice-president, Cable Co., Chicago; Alfred
L. Smith, secretary-treasurer. Executive Com-
mittee: William Braid White, American Steel
& Wire Co., Chicago; W. F. Hauschild, Hobart
M. Cable Co., La Porte, Indiana; E. S. Werolin,
American Piano Co., New York City; Leslie
Hoskins, Miessner Piano Co., Milwaukee, Wis-
consin; Emil Voelckel, Hardman, Peck & Co.,
New York City.
Introduce a New Finish
The M. Schulz Co., Chicago, is introducing a
new high-lighted finish for uprights as well as
grands which will be on display at their exhibit
during the coming convention. Included in the
models that will have the attractive high-lighted
effect will be the new La Marquise grand.
Worcester in New Building
WORCESTER,
MASS., May
24.—The
Worcester
Wind Motor Co., of this city, manufacturer of
motors and pneumatics for player-pianos, is now
settled in its new location at 35 Lagrange street,
this city. This company and its affiliated enter-
prises now occupy an entire factory building.
Grinnell Heads Association
DETROIT, MICH., May 23.—j. Grinnell, of Grin-
nell Bros., prominent music house of this city,
has been re-elected president of the Detroit Re-
tail Merchants' Association in recognition of his
excellent service with that organization in the
same capacity during the past year.
Tuners Carrying Case
LIGHT—COMPACT—SERVICEABLE
Weighs Only 6 Pounds
Outside measurements 15J4 inches long, 7
inches wide, 8 inches high.
No. 150—Covered with seal grain imitation
leather. Each $13.00
No. 200—Covered with genuine black cow-
hide leather. Each $20.00 F.O.B. New York.
When closed the aluminum
trays nest together over the large
compartment, which measures
13^ 8 " x 6" x 4". The two left hand
trays measure 137/g" x 2%" x iy&"
and the two right hand trays lST/g"
x 334" x iy&". The partitions in
right hand trays are adjustable or
may be removed. Case is fitted
with a very secure lock and solid
brass, highly nickel-plated hard-
ware.
We have a separate Department to take care of special requirements
of tuners and repairers. Mail orders for action parts, repair materials,
also tuning and regulating tools are given special attention.
Hammacher, Schlemmer & Co.
Piano and Player Hardware, Felts and Tools
New York Since 1848
4th Ave* at 13th St.