TONE COLLECTION CHAMBER

[Larry Fisher]

Hi all,

     In response to the numerous requests to keep things on a technical level,
I've decided to post a queery about a feature found a particular piano that a
salesperson referred to as a "tone collection chamber".

     The tone collection chamber was located at the junction of two or three
back posts on a grand at the belly rail.  The back posts attached to the square
cast iron chamber, and the chamber was attached to the belly rail.  I can see
how this would facilitate the attachment of two or three back posts to one
area, but I put my face in askew about the "tone collection" aspects of such a
feature.

     To carry things to the n'th degree, if this chamber were to fill up with
tone over an extended period of time, then we, as intellegent and informed
technicians, would be providing a valuable service to our piano owners that
have such a feature on their grands, to empty this out once in awhile, as
needed, to keep the piano sounding new.  Or would it be better to leave it full
to give the piano that aged, mellow tone found in so many fine old grands?

     What about the effect of moving the piano.  As the piano is tipped on it's
side, the open end of the chamber is tilted to a point that any collected tone
would spill onto the floor, (or dog yard depending on where people keep their
pianos) making quite a fine mess for housekeeping to clean up.  If the piano
was used to play Mahler or Metalica, the spill would be considered toxic and
the EPA and the HAZMAT boys would have to be called out to do their burocratic
tax revenue gobbling proceedures that cost us all money.

     A FINE THING THIS TONE COLLECTION CHAMBER DO DAH IS!  THE DESIGNER OF SUCH
A STUPID THING SHOULD BE ......................

     Oops, I forgot to take my medication again.

Lar


--- Larry Fisher RPT, Portland Metro's Authority on PianoDisc Systems
        For more information call (360) 256-2999 in Vancouver, Wa.
                      or email larryf@pacifier.com