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In that case, why not extend the bridges at both ends, put in a few more strings, but not bother to extend the action to them? They'd be just to provide the uniform loading you want, they could be chip tuned.

In principle, there is no reason why this could not be done, and it has been done in a very few pianos, usually at the low end of the treble bridge.

There is another consideration for both the treble bridge and the bass bridge, and that is how close the end of the bridge comes to the rim.

Will

Get someone to improvise just on the last 3 octaves using both the new notes and some of our 88 notes .If they think it's too stark let them play a chord in the middle treble .,or just a scale of notes to LET US HEAR .,video and record.Regards

No one can know if this instrument is successful unless these upper notes are played ! Stop talking start playing.

I'll take you up on it, Lady Bird. Can you buy me a plane ticket to Australia? I promise I will report back to you.

Oh yes, the other thing I hate about Stuarts is the total rubbish music stands they have.

I see this one relies on a computer screen, which reminds me of the old joke, how do you know if an Irishman has been using your word processor ? - Tippex on the screen.

I've tried the Stuarts at Hurstwood and thought them somewhat inferior to the Phoenix pianos (which seem to have developed the same ideas a lot further). Personally, I've decided that the bridge agraffe is a wonderful thing theoretically, but makes for an over-heavy bass in an otherwise lovely piano. I'll stick with my 'D' thanks. (That's probably banished me from further visits ...)

Sure William can I come with you ? Don't know how my husband will feel about it though .I will have to wait till Mr Stuart will post something online ? !!!!! What was that about an Irishman ??? Is he coming with us as well ? .From what I hear you make very nice pianos .One day I hope to play one !

BACK TO STUDY PIANO . Are you still there ? I thought I would just tell you .I am in Paris at the moment . Today I went and saw Chopins grave .Do you know it's ALWAYS got flowers on it While standing there I thought of all of us in Pianoworld and the music we all love , Bach,Beethoven,Mozart,Chopin and felt really sorry about the fact that at times we all disagree sometimes too much !!! Really what we disagree on does not really matter .In fact I am a bit like you ,in the way I dislike a great deal of pop music .You dislike modern classical I at times really hate popular music ,so we have strong likes and dislikes .Getting back to Chopin, after I had my little cry we went to a museum where we saw Chopins PLEYEL piano ,this one had only 6 octaves plus about another 6 or so notes .We then saw Liszt s piano ,s .,this one had full range of notes .It was about 7 to 8 ft long .Chopins was smaller ,more elegant looking .He seemed to have had a number of different pianos at different times .Perhaps he used this small elegant instrument for when he traveled on a long journey or perhaps just for composition .Some of his Nocturne and Mazurkas may have fitted on this pianos .For his bigger works he may have needed a more robust and full range instrument. I thought I would share this with you and everyone online .Oh yes Liszt piano was an ERHARD .Sorry do not know if I spelt it correctly. I wonder if these pianos had metal frames ?

Probably it's Erard, with an accent mark on the E, the kind that's low on the left and high on the right.

Thanks just pronouncing it like you said . Do you think the PLEYEL and the Erard had iron frames ? The Erard looked rather powerful.

Erard's name was in fact originally Erhard.

I think the Erhard was an important piano in the development of the of the piano if I remember. I think Liszt preferd the Bechstein ,but was more influenced by these German pianos
I know he enjoyed Steinways pianos as well. Chopin , Pleyel and Broadwood pianos ,the English, French pianos .These influenced Chopins style .I don't if the Clementi and ealy Stein fortepiano pianos sounded similar because as we know Chopin and Mozart s aesthetic sence were in the same direction Beethoven fluenced by the German more powerful tone had more in common of course with Brahms ,Wagner ,liszt .Their pianos were the Erhard,and Bechstein .The aesthetic in these composers go in the same direction
I think it was common for soundboards to just break in many pianos .Was the Erhard the first piano which had an iron frame ?

The introduction of the cast iron frame is generally attributed to Chickering, although other makers before him did experiment with some metal bracing. Erard was known for the use of individual iron bars for bracing. Erard's main claim to fame however is his invention of the double escapement action that then evolved into what we still have today.

OK Double escapement do not even bother to explain ! I have no mind for the technical aspects of the piano .This Stuart piano with all these extra notes ,it has been said that it gives greater resonance to the middle treble .So a piece like a Mozart Sonata ,where NO PEDAL is used ,would the piece sound better on a STUART piano than say playing the piece on a KAWAI SHIGERU .Say the Sonata in B flat K 333 ?
I can understand by using the pedal on say a Schumann work where the pedal is used the resonance will be increased .,but in a Mozart Sonata where the work may sound very DRY on some pianos ,what would be the affect .

I played on the two S&S instruments in Beleura House on the Mornington peninsula near Melbourne (these were the ones shown in the video on the weblink) a couple of years ago when I was visiting Australia. Wayne Stuart very kindly arranged this unique experience with the management of Beleura House. They are wonderful instruments. I would certainly have been tempted acquiring a S&S, but the logistics of getting the instrument to Europe would have been a challenge.

Excerpts from 'Walkabout' (2018) for Piano and Didgeridoo, written for and played on the Stuart & Sons 108 note piano by Ashley Hribar at Beleura House, Victoria, Australia. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXnPczgf1eU&feature=youtu.be)

Regards
Chris

Great can't Wait to listen ,and a NEW composion .,wonderful !!!

The middle section, framed by an abundance of a Australian rich tonal palette ,was so lyrical and warm ,this lovely piano really glowed ! Yes and the tone like an aura to the austere sounding didgeridoo The upper notes sounded wonderful ,giving percussion and resonance. Thank you for sharing this .

I wish someone else will comment instead of ending on my rather flowery description and appreciative comments !!! Someone ?

It is very hard for me to make any comment on the tonal characteristics of this piano, as much of this composition used the piano in a non-traditional way. While there seemed to be a crystal-clear quality to the uppermost notes of the instrument, I couldn't determine any specific pitch from what I am guessing is the top octave (or so). Some of the mid-range notes seemed to have been intentionally muted for the specific composition, using it as a percussion accompaniment.

Hard to judge from this video.

Regards,