Bosendorfer 200 specifications

They seem impossible to find on the web, perhaps one needs to contact a specialized dealer.

Hopefully they turn up

Drop weights for the 200. One must distinguish whether there are 5 or 4 sections. With five compartments, they are 55-52-50-48-48 g respectively. For five compartments, start from 52 g. Return weight not less than 20 g.

course of the key 10.5-10.2 mm

Hammer distance 46mm

Values provided by Bosendorfer

Thanks Paolo!

i recently inherited (it arrived a week ago) the instrument (70s) and I want to understand a few things

Can you give me some links where I can find information on the "philosophy" of the Bösendorfer sound?

I have happened to play Bösendorfers, but I realize now that having one at home is another thing; the sound seems truly different to me.

Lucio

I would say that the sound can be prepared according to our taste. Every House tries to get the most out of its own instrument, even through certain peculiarities, some of which are recorded as "patents". For example, Bösendorfer uses a sort of compressor in the treble and makes an eyelet for each string. Steinway places strings crosswise and uses a Capo-bar, diaphragm plate... in short... The sound of a modern piano tends to have a great attack (Steinway, Yamaha, ...) with good sound decay, but also with a long extinction transient. Advantages: very audible in the hall, ease of pedaling, timbral progressivity. The sound of the "romantic piano," to which Bechstein and some old Bösendorfer, even Blüthner... belong, has less decay, more continuity of sound, less attack, long extinction. Some difficulty in managing the sound, dynamic excursions, pedaling, but certainly a sweeter timbre.... in short, the discussion would be much longer and more complex. Now you must tune your instrument well, verify the state of the hammer rail and the strings. Verify the accuracy of the strike point and the charge of the soundboard. Then a good regulation and above all a good voicing of the hammers, provided they are efficient. Also check the friction coefficients of the mechanical pins. An expert technician will be able to verify all this and best prepare your beautiful instrument.

Dear Paolo,

thank you again, I take the liberty of asking you something once more.

My piano was built in 1976.

It hasn't been played in the last 20 years and it was a gamble regarding how it sounded—to leave my Kawai rx2 in perfect condition and only risk it on the name.

Several jobs were done last month, including replacing the pins, shaving the hammers, and tuning.

How would you define a 1976 Bösendorfer, a romantic instrument?

I have played several Bösendorfer grand pianos many times and they have always seemed like very beautiful instruments to me, but when playing in public, one thinks mostly about the music, about being able to do what one would like despite the tension. And rarely does one enjoy the beautiful sound of a piano, on those rare occasions when one comes along.

To return to my Bösendorfer,

It is the first time that I am playing a "small" piano that has a truly beautiful and interesting sound and that in the bass (except for the last 4 notes) sounds really good.

In the treble, it seems a little too open to me, but I must get used to it as well.

The action could be better; I hope that in the end, once regulated, it isn't too inferior to that of the Kawai (which, in my opinion, was excellent).

thank you again,

Lucio

Some Bösendorfer pianos from those years do not have a good response regarding the key return weight of the action. The shaving of the hammers contributes to decreasing this value. Can the high notes perhaps be voiced more? Plan for a future replacement of the hammer rail with a new one, suitable for that instrument. Even if the hammers are not worn out, their age and the loss of elasticity in the felt affect the sound. The sound will improve with a new set of hammers. Why do the last 4 not sound?

The sound is really very beautiful in the middle and in the bass; the last 4-5 notes are sloppy, but I believe it depends on the fact that the string is shorter. Anyway, in the immediately preceding octave, there is no comparison between this one and many other pianos of the same size that I have played. I will take some measurements and let you know.

But just to get an idea, how much would a new hammer rail cost? Obviously, I imagine you then have to add the cost of the voicing work.

I have read in other posts that you still find the choice of switching to materials other than wood problematic due to moisture absorption. Have you tried WNG, which has been talked about a lot for two years now?

thanks again

Lucio

Yes, I know it. I am convinced that they are excellent materials. We need to see how they react over time... and for this we must wait. The problem encountered with these materials is that they do not "move," they do not give way, and they do not absorb moisture... absorption or release is entirely up to the cashmere gaskets of the holes. However, it could be an erroneous belief of mine. I will try to keep it "under control" over time!

Hammer rail... we need to see the type and weight, which is very important. Also the shape and the filing of the tails (see the type of tail and the type of paramartello). Only a good technician can advise you. You will be able to find one in your area. Keep in mind that Bösendorfer provides these hammer rails.