Warbling piano wire

[bases-loaded@juno.com]

Bill -

I'm sure you already are aware of this, but it sounds like a perfect
description of what a piano can sound like with a ceiling fan running in
the room near the piano.  The very first time I ran into this I was
puzzled for quite some time!

Good luck!

Mark Potter
bases-loaded@juno.com

On Fri, 17 Sep 1999 02:48:36 EDT BSimon999@AOL.COM writes:
> Today I tuned (with a 75cts PR) a Julius Bauer console that had the 
> most 
> interesting, and lousy, strings of any piano I have ever tuned.
> 
> 95% of the plain strings had a very fast false beat, giving each 
> individual 
> string an annoying fast vibrato that muddied the tone produced. The 
> SAT had 
> no trouble keying on the right partial, and the unisons would drop 
> in and go 
> beatless as usual, but each string would sit there and warble like a 
> bird. A 
> beatless unison sounded like three drunk birds, very far away, were 
> trying to 
> harmonize with it. I will swear it wasn't the effect of a partial, 
> or 
> voicing.  The vibrato was apparent even when the string was plucked 
> (at 
> different points) and when I stuck a soft temperment strip between 
> it and the 
> hammer.  The hammers are more dead than alive, the piano has no 
> power at all. 
>  About one string in every octave sounded out clear as a bell. Go 
> figure.
> 
> I figured it was caused by some defect in the wire, but this effect 
> was new 
> to me, and I ain't new.  Has anyone else ever had something like 
> this? I 
> would welcome any explanations or suggestions on what to try when I 
> return to 
> it.
> 
> Time constraints precluded me from a microscopic examination of the 
> bridge ( 
> or seating the strings on the bridge)  but the v-bar looked all 
> right.  I do 
> expect to see this piano again, as the owner was absolutely 
> delighted with 
> the tuning to A440.  After all, it was the FIRST tuning since he 
> bought it 
> 10? years ago.  (  Tuned,  it sounded awful. )
> 
> ( They said it was 12 years old, but I could find no serial numbers 
> and the 
> Atlas only lists up to 1938 anyway. It looks like an Aeolian, but 
> was 
> presumably made by Wurlitzer.)
> 
> Thank you for any input,
> 
> Bill Simon
> Phoenix