Pianotech

Fascinating. Thanks for sharing!

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"That Tuning Guy"
Scott Kerns
Lincoln, Nebraska
www.thattuningguy.com
PianoMeter, TuneLab & OnlyPure user
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-26-2022 14:36
From: Cecil Snyder
Subject: Counter-bearing to the max

I ran across this Scandinavian spinet the other day and thought I'd share it for curiosity's sake.  I've never seen 90 degree counter-

bearing before, and it's enough to make you cringe when faced with tuning it. From the manufacturer's point of view it eliminates the need for either agraffes or a pressure bar which much simplifies stringing.  Surprisingly it tuned up okay though it had been neglected for decades.

Original Message:
Sent: 6/26/2022 2:37:00 PM
From: Cecil Snyder
Subject: Counter-bearing to the max

I ran across this Scandinavian spinet the other day and thought I'd share it for curiosity's sake.  I've never seen 90 degree counter-

bearing before, and it's enough to make you cringe when faced with tuning it. From the manufacturer's point of view it eliminates the need for either agraffes or a pressure bar which much simplifies stringing.  Surprisingly it tuned up okay though it had been neglected for decades.

I never tuned the Baldwin clasroom pianos, but my highschool had them.  Weren't the tuning pins in the back with the beckets in the front?

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Blaine Hebert RPT
Duarte CA
(626) 795-5170
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-26-2022 15:08
From: Mark Schecter
Subject: Counter-bearing to the max

I used to play a similar design by Baldwin back in the '70s. It had no soundboard, but instead had magnetic pickups and built-in speakers. It had a drop action, right-angle counter-bearing and weighed maybe 275 pounds. It didn't sound or feel very good, but I didn't have to pay for it. I wonder if there was a back-channel deal between the two manufacturers? 

Mark Schecter

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Original Message:
Sent: 6/26/2022 2:37:00 PM
From: Cecil Snyder
Subject: Counter-bearing to the max

I ran across this Scandinavian spinet the other day and thought I'd share it for curiosity's sake.  I've never seen 90 degree counter-

bearing before, and it's enough to make you cringe when faced with tuning it. From the manufacturer's point of view it eliminates the need for either agraffes or a pressure bar which much simplifies stringing.  Surprisingly it tuned up okay though it had been neglected for decades.

very interesting it looks like a louis zwicki stamped on the plate - exposed pinblock it would be easy to use ca glue to tighten loose pins. I tuned an Ivers and Pond grand that had a sloped webbing area going downhill . it was actually easy to tune since the plate is silver was it aluminum ?

------------------------------
James Kelly
Owner- Fur Elise Piano Service
Pawleys Island SC
(843) 325-4357
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-26-2022 14:36
From: Cecil Snyder
Subject: Counter-bearing to the max

I ran across this Scandinavian spinet the other day and thought I'd share it for curiosity's sake.  I've never seen 90 degree counter-

bearing before, and it's enough to make you cringe when faced with tuning it. From the manufacturer's point of view it eliminates the need for either agraffes or a pressure bar which much simplifies stringing.  Surprisingly it tuned up okay though it had been neglected for decades.

The silver finish on the plate was a cosmetic choice I would think.  Since the bearing bars are incorporated and cast as part of the plate, I doubt that an aluminum plate would work.  The strings would dig right into it wouldn't they?  The vogue for aluminum plates over here in the states didn't last for long for two reasons:  1. they lacked the rigidity of cast iron and were therefore an inferior product and 2. the cost of aluminum is significantly higher than cast iron and would be--even more so in Europe.
At any rate, I had to move it out away from the wall when I went to tune it and for a little spinet it didn't seem to lack, if you'll pardon the pun, gravitas.

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Cecil Snyder RPT
Torrance CA
(310) 542-7108
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-26-2022 16:21
From: James Kelly
Subject: Counter-bearing to the max

very interesting it looks like a louis zwicki stamped on the plate - exposed pinblock it would be easy to use ca glue to tighten loose pins. I tuned an Ivers and Pond grand that had a sloped webbing area going downhill . it was actually easy to tune since the plate is silver was it aluminum ?

------------------------------
James Kelly
Owner- Fur Elise Piano Service
Pawleys Island SC
(843) 325-4357

Original Message:
Sent: 06-26-2022 14:36
From: Cecil Snyder
Subject: Counter-bearing to the max

I ran across this Scandinavian spinet the other day and thought I'd share it for curiosity's sake.  I've never seen 90 degree counter-

bearing before, and it's enough to make you cringe when faced with tuning it. From the manufacturer's point of view it eliminates the need for either agraffes or a pressure bar which much simplifies stringing.  Surprisingly it tuned up okay though it had been neglected for decades.

I don’t believe I’ve encountered an aluminum plate ever. What do they sound like? I can imagine that aluminum does not damp vibration very well, and produce a ringing metallic tone. I have heard plates (Steinway D, 1970s,) that have a really obvious and not so gentle plate ring when playing notes, especially in the capo sections. I have suspected the plate’s composition was different than usual, or overly hardened somehow to produce the metallic ringing (with a quick decay, almost akin to dampers whooshing, but more brittle and harsh.)

Joe Wiencek
NYC


Original Message:
Sent: 7/1/2022 7:40:00 PM
From: Cecil Snyder
Subject: RE: Counter-bearing to the max

The silver finish on the plate was a cosmetic choice I would think.  Since the bearing bars are incorporated and cast as part of the plate, I doubt that an aluminum plate would work.  The strings would dig right into it wouldn't they?  The vogue for aluminum plates over here in the states didn't last for long for two reasons:  1. they lacked the rigidity of cast iron and were therefore an inferior product and 2. the cost of aluminum is significantly higher than cast iron and would be--even more so in Europe.
At any rate, I had to move it out away from the wall when I went to tune it and for a little spinet it didn't seem to lack, if you'll pardon the pun, gravitas.

------------------------------
Cecil Snyder RPT
Torrance CA
(310) 542-7108
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-26-2022 16:21
From: James Kelly
Subject: Counter-bearing to the max

very interesting it looks like a louis zwicki stamped on the plate - exposed pinblock it would be easy to use ca glue to tighten loose pins. I tuned an Ivers and Pond grand that had a sloped webbing area going downhill . it was actually easy to tune since the plate is silver was it aluminum ?

------------------------------
James Kelly
Owner- Fur Elise Piano Service
Pawleys Island SC
(843) 325-4357

Original Message:
Sent: 06-26-2022 14:36
From: Cecil Snyder
Subject: Counter-bearing to the max

I ran across this Scandinavian spinet the other day and thought I'd share it for curiosity's sake.  I've never seen 90 degree counter-

bearing before, and it's enough to make you cringe when faced with tuning it. From the manufacturer's point of view it eliminates the need for either agraffes or a pressure bar which much simplifies stringing.  Surprisingly it tuned up okay though it had been neglected for decades.

The only aluminum plates I've encountered were in spinets from the 50s.  They had a silver finish.  On some of them, there would be a nose bolt on the longest plate strut.  I don't recall any acoustic problems associated with the plates.  They were not particularly stable, but then not many spinets are--Acrosonics being the notable exception.  It was a passing fad.  Aluminum lacks the rigidity of cast iron and is not really suitable for this purpose. It also requires lots of power to smelt which makes it pricey.  One of the biggest producers of aluminum in modern times is Iceland.  There's no bauxite near there, but they have oodles of free geothermal power which makes it cost effective to haul the ore halfway around the world.

------------------------------
Cecil Snyder RPT
Torrance CA
(310) 542-7108
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 07-02-2022 13:07
From: Joe Wiencek
Subject: Counter-bearing to the max

I don't believe I've encountered an aluminum plate ever. What do they sound like? I can imagine that aluminum does not damp vibration very well, and produce a ringing metallic tone. I have heard plates (Steinway D, 1970s,) that have a really obvious and not so gentle plate ring when playing notes, especially in the capo sections. I have suspected the plate's composition was different than usual, or overly hardened somehow to produce the metallic ringing (with a quick decay, almost akin to dampers whooshing, but more brittle and harsh.)

Joe Wiencek
NYC


Original Message:
Sent: 7/1/2022 7:40:00 PM
From: Cecil Snyder
Subject: RE: Counter-bearing to the max

The silver finish on the plate was a cosmetic choice I would think.  Since the bearing bars are incorporated and cast as part of the plate, I doubt that an aluminum plate would work.  The strings would dig right into it wouldn't they?  The vogue for aluminum plates over here in the states didn't last for long for two reasons:  1. they lacked the rigidity of cast iron and were therefore an inferior product and 2. the cost of aluminum is significantly higher than cast iron and would be--even more so in Europe.
At any rate, I had to move it out away from the wall when I went to tune it and for a little spinet it didn't seem to lack, if you'll pardon the pun, gravitas.

------------------------------
Cecil Snyder RPT
Torrance CA
(310) 542-7108

Original Message:
Sent: 06-26-2022 16:21
From: James Kelly
Subject: Counter-bearing to the max

very interesting it looks like a louis zwicki stamped on the plate - exposed pinblock it would be easy to use ca glue to tighten loose pins. I tuned an Ivers and Pond grand that had a sloped webbing area going downhill . it was actually easy to tune since the plate is silver was it aluminum ?

------------------------------
James Kelly
Owner- Fur Elise Piano Service
Pawleys Island SC
(843) 325-4357

Original Message:
Sent: 06-26-2022 14:36
From: Cecil Snyder
Subject: Counter-bearing to the max

I ran across this Scandinavian spinet the other day and thought I'd share it for curiosity's sake.  I've never seen 90 degree counter-

bearing before, and it's enough to make you cringe when faced with tuning it. From the manufacturer's point of view it eliminates the need for either agraffes or a pressure bar which much simplifies stringing.  Surprisingly it tuned up okay though it had been neglected for decades.