“Why did you build such a long piano?”
The primary question I am asked that comes with a simple answer.
I just wanted to see what a long bass string sounded like.
It occurred to me that long bass strings sounded better. When I was 14 I asked my piano teacher how long a bass a string would need to be if it had no copper on it at all. The answer was “Adrian the string would be so long it would go on for ever!” so with this in mind I did an experiment where I could find that measurement.
I knocked a waratah (metal fence post) into the ground at both ends and with a big piece of timber with a hole and tuning pin in it I strung up an enormous bass string. After finding a safe tension I tuned it to the lowest A on a piano by moving rocks along the wire.
Here I discovered the most interesting sound and from this point I was determined to build a piano to have the longest string sounding like this. I later did more experimenting. Fifteen year old me said “Mum I’m going to build a piano!”
I think because I was so young I absolutely knew it was totally possible to do, I was fully determined and without consulting any professionals I had no barrier stopping me.
A reenactment of the bass string experiment with piano tuner Stephen Newman watching over
I was about to find out just how difficult it was going to be because on the 24th of October I was given permission to start building the piano because a very generous lady called Carolyn said “go for gold” in her one car garage. With a small amount of timber she had given me I started constructing the case and legs.
At this point my knowledge was limited to the Haake piano I was able to fix after it sat six months in the rain. I was guessing my way through the dimensions of the case making the start of the curve proportionately further back to what a normal sized grand piano would be.
There were many flukes during the construction of the piano and this was the first but I would find out much later.
The length of the piano was determined by the length of the garage, I guess this was a fluke also!
Toward the end of the construction of the case I needed more room to work around the piano and it was my school friend and neighbour who suggested that his dad would have it in their farm tractor shed and we could combine our tools!
I had more enthusiasm again!
Interest in the construction was proportional to the progress. The more I advanced the more people were willing to give. Whether it was tools, timber, books or money!
Scale design was based on a formula I had discovered in a 1916 book called A Treatise on the art of piano forte construction.
I was not very good at reading or writing. I skimmed through the book but this critical piece of information came just at the right time in the construction!
The physical design of the pianos scale was entirely based around the formula and hammer line. The placement of this hammer line was determined after another crucial piece of information was learnt. Hammer strike point. Suddenly things were falling into place and it all made sense. Components such as the steel frame were designed around the scale and bridges. All of this was scribed onto a 1 to 1 piece of tin.
Knowledge was everywhere if you looked hard enough and pulling pianos apart was a crucial part of learning. Making the parts was another kind of learning I was better at. it was more hands on! Cutting, planing, chiseling, machining, grinding and welding.
I could do all of this but needed to do better or learn how to work more accurately. Things like the control of a chisel while notching.
I was able to glue up pieces of timber that were going to be like the soundboard bridge and practice!
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