Hey Gang:  I have been working on my 1925 5'8" Mason & Hamlin RA Ampico
piano.  The piano has been restrung with a new pin block and has been
refinished.  The piano has a perfect soundboard and nice tight bridges.
Everything has been done except to re-install the pump and tube it all
up.

I made a serious observation last weekend when I put the expression
units back in the Mason.  The metal spider that makes a Mason piano
"a Mason" has three of its six rods cut.  They were removed to make
room for the Ampico equipment.  The cross members are larger and makes
for a really tight fit.  The sound of the piano is rich and bright.
My neighbor has a Mason RAA (no Ampico) with even brighter sound and
a six-legged spider system.

Wanting to know more about how this system affects the sound, I went
to visit the Mason dealer.  The new 5'8" pianos have only a 4-legged
stretcher spider.  They told me that they have gone back to the 1920s
stringing scale and sound board.  This new Mason sounds and played
strong.

Now to cut to the chase!  Does the removal of these rods effect the
overall performance of these great pianos just a little?

Thanks, Chris Kalstone