~Re: self tuning piano????

[Richard Oliver Snelson]

Since the approach to a self tuning piano was done by a grad of The
Missouri University at Rolla,  as another grad "electrical engineering"
of that school when it was called the Missouri School of Mines and now
several years of work learning about what is involved in tuning and
keeping a piano in tune: I have this to say,
Good luck keeping that electrical mess of connections working. Better
luck getting it to ever work in the first place! Even better luck will be
needed to produce something that will work and keep working, and thats
for any price.

Richard O. Snelson
Oliver Piano Services

----- Original Message -----
From: <Wimblees@AOL.COM>
To: <Pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, July 01, 2002 3:51 PM
Subject: self tuning piano????


> In the July Journal is a hillarious article about the self tuning
piano. I know this story has been on the list before, but I just want to
be sure all of you read it, just for the fun of it. It is absolutley
unreal to think that someone could actually justify the invention of this
"tool". What is even more discouraging is that someone from the piano
industry actually paid this guy to develop and install the system in a
real piano.
>
> Here are a couple of misnomers which lead this guy to think the systme
works. He thinks one of the reasons strings go out of tune is because
tuning pins slip. To solve this problem, he actually has developed a
"string lock", to permantly clamp the strings in place, making tuning
pins superflous. Tuning pins and strings do not move. (unles the pin
block is bad).
>
> Another problem with the system is that the piano will be re-tuned
repeatedly to a tuning set at the factory. This tuning will be done by a
"Story & Clark Master Technician". Oh, I know the kind. The one in the
booth at the end of the production line, competing with the noise of the
stringing department. I am sure that will be a great tuning. For
comparison, it took 4 CTE level tuner 5 hours to tune a piano at the
convention. Do you think there might be a differnce between the two
tunings? I wonder if the piano can be reprogrammed? Will Ed be able to do
his thing on it?
>
> Mr. Gilmore's experiment "have shown that varying the pitch of a string
50 cents requires, on the average, about one watt per string". Oh that's
great. A pitch raise of 50 cents, with all the strings being tuned at the
same time. I wonder what the effect on the soundboard will be? Do you
think it will stay in tune?
>
> Mr. Gilmore, if you're lurking, please just concentrate on your job as
a engineer, and leave pianos to people who have expericen tuning and
repairing them. I'm sorry you spent so much time and engergy, not to
mention money, on a system that is a failure. You might be able to sell a
few of these things to unsuspecting customers, but you have done the
tuning industry, not to mention the whole piano industry, a great
diservice inventing a usuless electronic device. You should be ashamed of
yourself for even attempting to justify your invention.
>
> Wim Blees RPT
> Tuscaloosa, AL
>