Cross-stringing. The advantages of cross-stringing is that the case of the piano can be smaller, the bass strings can be longer and the placement of the bass strings is in the center of the piano case, where they receive more resonance than when placed at the side.[7][8][9] Cross-stringing is criticized by some as producing a "murky" sound. According to the pianist Gwendolyn Mok, "If you look inside your own piano, you will notice that the strings are all crossing each other. With the straight strung piano you get distinct registral differences--almost like listening to a choir where you have the bass, tenor, alto, and soprano voices. It is very clear and there is no blending or homogenizing of the sound. Piano Finders Short Guide to Piano World.
Pianos come in a bewildering assortment of brands, styles and sizes Last updated on May 29, 2012. Please select "view", then "refresh" or "reload" on your browser to be sure you are viewing the latest version. Introduction Many people, as they start shopping for a piano, soon find themselves overwhelmed by all the different styles, models, sizes, finishes, and brands available. Often, they end up in a high-pressure sales situation where they are encouraged to make a quick decision without having all the necessary facts. And even when the decision is finally reached, the purchase made, and the piano moved into the home, many people wonder afterward if they really made the best choice.
Click Here for Printer Friendly Version In the many years I have been in the piano business, I have noticed that piano buyers often ask the same questions. What kind of piano should I buy for myself, or for my son/daughter who is just starting lessons? How much should I expect to spend? Top of Page. Metallurgy Of Carbon Steel. Mixture of ferrite and pearlite grains; temperature below A1, therefore microstructure not significantly affected. Pearlite transformed to Austenite, but not sufficient temperature available to exceed the A3 line, therefore not all ferrite grains transform to Austenite. On cooling, only the transformed grains will be normalised. Temperature just exceeds A3 line, full Austenite transformation. On cooling all grains will be normalised Temperature significantly exceeds A3 line permitting grains to grow.
Metalworking 7: Heat Treatment of Steel. Hardening and Tempering. Steel can be treated by intense heat to give it different properties of hardness and softness. This depends on the amount of carbon in the steel (only high carbon steel can be hardened and tempered). CARBON CONTENT OF COMMON STEELS: Mild steel: 0.4% carbon, Medium carbon steel approximately 0.8% carbon, High Carbon Steel approximately 1.2% carbon (this steel is also known as Tool Steel and includes Silver Steel and Gauge Plate).
Mild steel and medium carbon steel do not have enough carbon to change their crystalline structure and consequently cannot be hardened and tempered. Medium carbon steel may become slightly tougher although it cannot be harden to the point where it cannot be filed or cut with a hacksaw (the classic test of whether steel has been hardened). If steel is heated until it glows red and is quenched in clean water immediately, it becomes very hard but also brittle. This means it is likely to break or snap if put under great pressure.
TEMPERING. After the hardening treatment is applied, steel is often harder than needed and is too brittle for most practical uses. Also, severe internal stresses are set up during the rapid cooling from the hardening temperature. To relieve the internal stresses and reduce brittleness, you should temper the steel after it is hardened. Tempering consists of heating the steel to a specific temperature (below its hardening temperature), holding it at that temperature for the required length of time, and then cooling it, usually instill air. The resultant strength, hardness, and ductility depend on the temperature to which the steel is heated during the tempering process. The purpose of tempering is to reduce the brittleness imparted by hardening and to produce definite physical properties within the steel.
Tempering always follows, never precedes, the hardening operation. Tempering is always conducted at temperatures below the low-critical point of the steel. Table 2-3. Nontraditional Materials and the Piano — Steve Brady — Piano History — Piano Wire — Piano Hammers, Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer. Steve Brady, RPT IN EXISTENCE FOR OVER 300 YEARS, the piano is considered as "traditional" a musical instrument as the violin or guitar. As with those instruments, we tend to think of the piano as being constructed from natural materials — wood, felt, leather, iron, brass — and indeed, the first pianos were made of just these things. From its beginnings as a mere subspecies of harpsichord, however, the gravicembalo col piano e forte has evolved into the modern grand piano, and in the process has changed dramatically in size, weight, sound, and the materials of its construction. Indeed, many of the materials used in pianos today were, at one time or another, considered "nontraditional," even experimental.
The first pianos were essentially harpsichords fitted with hammers that struck the strings, in place of the harpsichord's crow-quill plectra, which plucked them. Iron Bracing and Tempered Steel At about the time that tempered steel strings began appearing in pianos, so did iron bracing. Piano wire. Piano string ends Piano strings Manufacture and use[edit] Piano strings are among the most demanding of all applications of steel. Placed under high tension, they are subject to repeated blows, they are stretched and slackened during tuning and are still expected to last for decades.
Similar challenges arise in plucked instruments, along with the additional demand of being bent when plucked. Piano wire must also be extremely consistent in size: variations greater than 0.0003 inch (8 μm) will produce audible falseness in modern instruments. [citation needed] Piano wire is sold by weight and packaged in tight coils. Other applications[edit] Piano wire is also used in the fabrication of springs, fishing lures, special effects in the movie industry, scaffold cross-bracing, orthodontic and pharyngial surgery, and for the cutting of cheese and soap.
History[edit] See also[edit] Piano acoustics Notes[edit] References[edit] External links[edit] HOW A PIANO WORKS. Every note sounded on a piano is the result of a string, or set of two or three strings, vibrating at a specific frequency (rate of traveling back and forth) determined by the length, diameter, tension and density of the wire. A shorter, lighter string, under more tension, vibrates faster, and produces a higher-pitched sound.1 The strings on a modern piano are made of hard, tough steel wire that can nick the blade of regular wire cutters.
A piano technician needs wire cutters with a compound-leverage joint and tungsten-carbide jaws. Each note, from the treble (highest in pitch, at the right-hand end of the keyboard) down toward the bass (low, at left-hand end of the keyboard), is produced by three strings vibrating at exactly the same speed, sounding together when struck by their hammer. At some point in the bass, and this is not standardized from one make of piano to another, the number of strings per note changes from three to two, then for the lowest notes, one string per note.