The strength of a well-crafted instrument makes the piano one of the most impressive examples of technology, engineering and craftsmanship in the world today. GX BLAK Series Grand Pianos are designed with tremendous strength to ensure stability of tone and touch over time.
SOLID construction creates an exceptionally rigid foundation to support string tension. First, the pinblock is fitted to the plate. Then, the pinblock and over-lapping stretcher bar are integrated into a single structure and solidly anchored to the rim. The extraordinary thickness of the stretcher bar exemplifies the structural integrity of this sturdy framework designed to ensure stable tuning and powerful tone.
Watch The VideoA piano’s keyslip is the long, horizontal piece of wood that covers the front faces of the keys. Because it is made of wood, a keyslip can warp or bend with changes in humidity, causing keys to stick. To avoid this problem, the GX BLAK Series keyslip is reinforced with a heavy gauge steel liner that prevents warping or bending in any direction. Keys move freely with virtually no possibility of rubbing or sticking against the inside of the keyslip.
Watch The Video
The piano’s keybed must be strong and stable to support the weight of the entire action assembly over time. The GX BLAK Series keybed is reinforced with two steel support beams that add strength and increase rigidity to reflect sound energy toward the soundboard for increased tone.
Watch The VideoThe plate is the acoustically-neutral iron superstructure of the piano over which the strings are tensioned. All GX BLAK Series plates are molded using the Vacuum Mold Process (V-Pro) with “Crossbone Design.” The result is a plate that is strong, stable and beautiful.
Beams are joined to the inner rim using four independent joinery techniques. Each beam is fitted with a hardwood dowel, mortised into the inner rim for precise fit, glued, and secured with hardened screws for complete bonding through the entire thickness of the inner rim. The result is a tremendously secure rim-to-beam connection.
The GX BLAK Series rims are built using cross-binding and lamination techniques to form a structure that is, pound for pound, stronger than steel. The beams are made of select hardwood laminates, glued together under pressure, making them virtually isotropic (equally strong in all directions) and impervious to weather changes and warpage.
The Multi-Grip pinblock on all GX BLAK Series Grand Pianos is fully laminated with a minimum of eleven crossbanded layers of North American hard maple for maximum strength and balanced torque. Tuning pins are made from the finest carbon steel, machine-threaded for maximum continuous torque and nickel plated to enhance beauty and provide long-term protection.