This is an interesting topic that many of you might not be familiar with. Recently we had an amazing instrument come into the store – an 1875 Erard Concert Grand Piano. What made this piano so unique is that it’s one of the very few instruments surviving today in good condition that feature a straight strung scale design.
Around the 1880s it became much more common for pianos to feature cross stringing – which is what you will see in pretty much any piano designed and built in the modern era. Also referred to as being “overstrung” this design of crossing strings over one-another allows them to be longer and fit into a smaller frame.
Before the advent of cross stringing, pianos would have to be larger in size to produce a vibrant tone. The strings of a modern baby grand piano are generally longer since the crossing allows for longer string length for much of the piano. This is one reason why small baby grands were impossible to design before the advent of cross-stringing.
Other than the placement of the strings, the location of the bridges on the soundboard also differs dramatically between a straight strung and a cross strung piano. Modern pianos with cross-stringing allow for placement of the bridges closer to the center of the piano for more of the notes. You may wonder how the sound of earlier straight strung pianos differs from modern design instruments.
Playing one of these straight strung pianos is truly an experience. As you play you’ll hear the same type of tone production that Chopin and Liszt experienced in their day for the most part – it really transforms you back in time to a different era. It’s an exhilarating experience to hear and play their music as they heard it – a punchier, more percussive sound.
Thanks again for joining us here at Living Pianos. If you have any comments, suggestions or questions about this topic or any others please contact us directly: (949) 244-3729 or email us: Info@LivingPianos.com