This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Ed and all, there is the distinct possibility that European Union regulatory = agencies will be setting the standard for manufacturing in the world = soon as they are the largest market (500 million) for pianos in the = world (the Chinese have potential, but the reality of buying lags and = they have apparently little interest in self regulation) and the = strongest currency in the world. The banning of lead was discussed at = Nashville last year at the Stanwood/ExecuKey booth by Ulrich Sauter, the = Abel brothers, Bob Marinelli, Ray Negron, David, myself and others. = David Stanwood was already showing an alternative material and = manufacturing process . Assist springs are not a replacement for lead but an add on. The MBA = folks are trying to supply theer design as an alternative to lead as = with their design there is no key weighting so the issue is avoided, = oops except for the damper levers. The real alternative will pobably be = an alternative material not a design. As Ulrich Sauter said the real = problem will be getting the first manufacturer to commit to production = as no one wants to be first. Then the next problem will be everyone = accepting a standard. I think the interesting thing here is, will = manufacturers make two different approaches one for Europe and one for = everywhere else or will what has happened so far with regulations and = the EU ( JAck Welch and GE, MIcrosoft, etc) happen to pianos. = Manufacturers may only want to make one piano for all markets. This is = an interesting question. Any speculation? Any crying of the pundits? An = airing of the collective ignorance? Well whatever, the times they are a = changin' again. =20 TO be specific Ed the MBAs (magnetic balanced actions) do not feel = anything (to my fingers and others I have talked to) like a traditional = design. They can be adapted to, i.e., one can get used to them, but I = don't think anyone has enough information yet to say whether concert = artists will accept the change. Assist sprints have been around for a = long time and work well to reduce lead, or any kind of weighting in the = keys, but they are part of the traditional design palate and feel only = slightly different. The adjustment screw for the assist springs invented = by Bill Ballard and David Stanwood and refined by Randy Morton and Bob = Marinelli has improved this approach a great deal. I wouldn't be too = concerned about the wearing out business or the frequency of adjustment = as MBAs have their own regulation needs so that's a wash, and by the = time the assist springs wear out you will probably need new wippens as = happpens anyway. It's just one more spring to regulate. And what happens = to MBAs when the other parts (oh yes there is more to the story) besides = the magnets wear? My personal opinion is that MBA is a fine advance but = it may die on the evolutionary branch because it is more different or = is that differenter? more differenter?? most different... This is all just beginning so we have time to get ready, and maybe even = develop protocols in advance, but for now it would be a good idea to = learn how to regulate both MBA and assist spring actions properly. Right = now Renner and Pianotek offer assistance with the assistance springs at = convention classes but as far as I am aware MBA is only available to = those who go to the weeklong seminars and become licensed installers. = Certainly at present there are many more assist spring actions in the = world we live in. How many CAUT members have MBA actions in their school = inventories?=20 Anyone interested in an open forum on topic here? Thanks, Chris = Solliday=20 ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Ed Sutton=20 To: caut@ptg.org=20 Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 5:41 PM Subject: [CAUT] about magnets O, Great Minds of Caut! I have heard tell that Petrof is producing grand pianos with a = magnetic assisted action, soon to arrive in our neighborhood. The magnets are installed in the wippen rail and wippen in repelling = orientation so that the magnets lift the wippen similar to a wippen = assist spring. The touchweight can be refined by adjusting the magnets = similar to a screw regulated wipen assist spring. Functionally it seems = identical to a wippen assist spring. When I asked how it differed from a wippen assist spring I was told = "Springs wear out, but magnets last forever." I would be interested in = educated comments on that statement. The magnets will be held = continuously in opposition and "compression." Will they grow weaker = over years? decades? or will they last forever? How does this compare with assist springs? Do wippen assist springs = grow weaker over time? Faster than magnets? Jim Ellis, I thank you in advance! Sincerely, Ed Sutton ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/d6/5d/cd/cd/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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