Foundation

When constructing any grand piano or vertical piano the builder must provide a foundation for the soundboard. The back of a vertical piano represents the soundboard’s foundation.

Schwetchen vertical pianos rely on five full sized posts to provide a stable foundation. A maple liner receives the soundboard and ribs.

Tuning and tonal stability remain the primary function of the foundation. Viol-crown, an exclusive feature for Schwetchen vertical pianos, help give the soundboard the stability, shape and function of a grand piano.

Grand pianos start with an inner rim and an outer rim. The inner rim represents the foundation while the outer (case) rim provides the beauty of the instrument. Rims use a combination of mahogany and poplar. These woods, from deciduous trees, work together to provide maximum stability and long life.

Next the inner rim receives the harp. Fastened to the inner rim with nine hex screws, the harp will utilize one or two scale stabilization (nose) bolts. Additionally twenty-three large screws secure the pinblock (wrest plank) to the harp (plate).

Once the harp has been secured to the inner rim and pinblock the piano can be readied for stringing. With extremely high-speed drills the holes can be drilled in the pinblock for the tuning pins. Care must be taken that drill bits remain sharpened. A dull drill bit at this stage of manufacture could result in a scored hole, which would not successfully secure the tuning pin.

Now the treble strings can be put into place. String wrappings around the tuning pin (called a becket) must be uniform and cosmetically correct. After the bass and tenor section has been strung the piano will be chip tuned. The tuner plucks each string (like a harp) and pulls the piano to pitch.

When each string has achieved its correct pitch about twenty thousand pounds of tension will be placed on the harp and foundation. Correct down pressure on the bridge of each of the two-hundred, twenty-three strings should be about six pounds per string. This totals one-thousand, three-hundred and thirty-eight pounds of down pressure.

If the builder has too little down pressure (called bearing) the tone will be tubby and listless. Too much down pressure results in a tone that will be shrill and nasally.

This Schwetchen piano now has tension. Craftsmen take the measurements to be certain that the musical part of the piano will be perfect. When this finding has been satisfied the outer, case rim may be glued to the inner rim.

The soundboard affixed to the inner rim does not touch the outer, case rim. This lets the soundboard freely amplify string vibrations and results in a superior tone. You will find that a floating soundboard feature will not be exclusive to Schwetchen pianos. This feature would normally be found only as part of the best-built instruments. Schwetchen pianos enjoy good company.

Each of the steps outlined above take time. Time spent by skilled workers who take pride in their craft create a better performing longer lasting musical instrument.