Very interesting! Thank you for this video. The action seems to have a lot in common with standard, modern vertical piano actions, but with the hammer mounted horizontally instead.
I own exactly the same piano, mine dating back to 1890, completely restored with original soundboard and pinblock. To my experience the effect of the aliquot scaling is much more important when the piano is 1. tuned very precisely (and without stretching the octaves: so all of the harmonics reinforce themselves mutualy) and 2. while pedaling. All those extra strings upon an open pedal sympatize of course and add to the general sound, especially enriching the tenor and bass compasses. The effect is marginal (but existant) upon a 'dry' treble note. The overall sound gives the impression of playing on a longer piano without becoming too powerful for an ordinary house. It is my guess that the break in the scaling from 4' to 8' pitch is due to the fact that 4' pitched strings would become too stiff in the upper octaves to resort any sound at all and these short strings would complicate the constructing, as you have mentioned. The same principal can be found in luths and even in organ mixtures. The Bluthner piano factory still exists and still produces new pianos with aliquot scaling. Cheerio, Willem (resident organist in Brussels and Antwerp - Belgium)
Thank you for creating and sharing this video! I appreciate that your narration was clear and that you took your time so your audience could enjoy viewing the piano as you described its various design aspects.
I feel like this video is the only place where I learned about this. So basically only the older Blüthner which have more aliquots, had some tuned one octave higher.
I used to own one like this but without the aliquot and with a newer action (it was changed). It's an amazing piece of furniture and lovely to have in your home, incompairable with modern piano's. I always kept wondering how it sounded when it was new, since the soundboard had lost it's curve.
Lovely piano - a bit difficult to discern the variation in tone the forth string provides when tuning is an issue. Upper register needed some tuning prior to the demonstration, but I appreciate the tour of the piano!
Hello Hampshire Piano, why couldn't you Try Remaking A Daddy Grand Piano by putting on 88 Tuning Forks like what you did on an Upright Piano, Please do the Same Thing on a Daddy Grand Piano For Most of us UA-camrs, It will be a much Better Idea For us so we can Try and See and Hear Pianos with 88 Tuning Forks inside Thank You.
Peter! Yeah, they sure are nubbies. The hammers look like they have had their third and final sanding. Still, this is one of the most perfectly preserved 100+ year old pianos I have seen. Someone took meticulous care with it. I was fortunate to find the tuning stable enough to demo the aliquot string system.
The piano appears to be brown mahogany that is in need of refinishing. Redone it is quite beautiful. It could also be rosewood a favored wood in Europe at this time. I do hope you do NOT paint it any form of dreary fashionable black
Excellent information, thank you. I’ve just obtained a 7’ 1901 Aliquot like this. Needs a fair bit of work and this gives me a great starting point!🙂🍃
Very interesting! Thank you for this video. The action seems to have a lot in common with standard, modern vertical piano actions, but with the hammer mounted horizontally instead.
I own exactly the same piano, mine dating back to 1890, completely restored with original soundboard and pinblock. To my experience the effect of the aliquot scaling is much more important when the piano is 1. tuned very precisely (and without stretching the octaves: so all of the harmonics reinforce themselves mutualy) and 2. while pedaling. All those extra strings upon an open pedal sympatize of course and add to the general sound, especially enriching the tenor and bass compasses. The effect is marginal (but existant) upon a 'dry' treble note. The overall sound gives the impression of playing on a longer piano without becoming too powerful for an ordinary house.
It is my guess that the break in the scaling from 4' to 8' pitch is due to the fact that 4' pitched strings would become too stiff in the upper octaves to resort any sound at all and these short strings would complicate the constructing, as you have mentioned. The same principal can be found in luths and even in organ mixtures.
The Bluthner piano factory still exists and still produces new pianos with aliquot scaling.
Cheerio, Willem (resident organist in Brussels and Antwerp - Belgium)
Yes - this is the style of tuning I applied - ua-cam.com/video/Ptaxfn-Hczw/v-deo.html
Thank you for creating and sharing this video! I appreciate that your narration was clear and that you took your time so your audience could enjoy viewing the piano as you described its various design aspects.
Great video and wonderful piano 🎹👏
I feel like this video is the only place where I learned about this. So basically only the older Blüthner which have more aliquots, had some tuned one octave higher.
I used to own one like this but without the aliquot and with a newer action (it was changed). It's an amazing piece of furniture and lovely to have in your home, incompairable with modern piano's. I always kept wondering how it sounded when it was new, since the soundboard had lost it's curve.
This will be very helpful with one piano in my care. It is the same model, but some dummy removed all the aliquot strings and bridges.
Lovely piano - a bit difficult to discern the variation in tone the forth string provides when tuning is an issue. Upper register needed some tuning prior to the demonstration, but I appreciate the tour of the piano!
Hello Hampshire Piano, why couldn't you Try Remaking A Daddy Grand Piano by putting on 88 Tuning Forks like what you did on an Upright Piano, Please do the Same Thing on a Daddy Grand Piano For Most of us UA-camrs, It will be a much Better Idea For us so we can Try and See and Hear Pianos with 88 Tuning Forks inside Thank You.
Are you located here in Holyoke?I I love Bluethner pianos. Is it or could it be for sale?
I will call Wednesday.
Hammers are down to the wood core. Congratulations on deriving technical details from a piano that is basically out of service already.
Peter!
Yeah, they sure are nubbies.
The hammers look like they have had their third and final sanding.
Still, this is one of the most perfectly preserved 100+ year old pianos I have seen. Someone took meticulous care with it. I was fortunate to find the tuning stable enough to demo the aliquot string system.
Those aliquot strings don't sound like they're freely ringing
Pianos: Too easy to tune.
Bluthner: Ha...
The piano appears to be brown mahogany that is in need of refinishing.
Redone it is quite beautiful. It could also be rosewood a favored wood in Europe at this time.
I do hope you do NOT paint it any form of dreary fashionable black
Here's a 4 string Bluthner I tuned the other day - ua-cam.com/video/Ptaxfn-Hczw/v-deo.html