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Barrie Heaton · Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 8:24 pm Post subject: Broadwood Barless Upright Piano

The Broadwood website has just been update and the Barless Upright Piano has been added

http://www.uk-piano.org/broadwood/pianos.html

Barrie,
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Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page

Ben Wimpenny · Regular Poster Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Posts: 25

Barrie,

I know I'm probably being a bit of a thickie, but I visited the link and I don't get it - what does 'barless' actually mean - the Broadwood explanation is not that clear to me?

Regards
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Ben Wimpenny

Barrie Heaton · Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 4:44 pm Post subject:

They are taking the term from their old barless grand - When you look in side a grand there are bars running above the strings running parallel and diagonally, they are part of the cast iron frame. Now these bars interrupt the flow of the long treble bridge and can constrict the bass bridge. The Knight K10 has no bars in the treble and for the size of piano it has the longest sustain. However, the K10 do have bars running parallel with the bass strings the Broadwood has not.

The one big drawback to these pianos is production costs

There is a nice book by Alastair Laurence called the Broadwood Barless Piano

I will be putting up info on their Green Frame Piano as well when I get it

Barrie,
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Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page

Ben Wimpenny · Regular Poster Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Posts: 25

Thanks Barrie for enlightening me - as informative as ever!

Does the barless construction mean that the 'peripheral' cast iron frame has to be more massive to compensate?

Regards
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Ben Wimpenny

Barrie Heaton · Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2005 6:23 pm Post subject:

Yes thicker in most of the frame so casting is more complex

Barrie,
_________________
Barrie Heaton
Web Master UK Piano Page