self tuning piano????

[Richard Brekne]

 Bill Ballard wrote:

>
>
>There's no such thing as regular periodic tunings, if what you speak 
>of is the old fashioned mechanical kind. The article specifically 
>says that "string locks are included to effectively clamp strings in 
>place after the initial factory tuning."
>
>Pride goeth before the Fall. Ruling out the possibility of a 
>mechanical tuning is a fatal flaw. With a fatal flaw like this one, 
>we don't need to trash it, it'll walk itself to the dumpster all by 
>itself.
>

Well... this bit has at least been tried before. Ole Bull, a world class and
very rich violinist from Norway in the 1800's built together with some Swedish
fellow such a beast. Bull was tired of playing concerts to untuned pianos the
story goes. The instrument was built such that it couldnt be tuned after
initial tuning. All the math and engineering of the day was used and the
inventor declared the infalability of his science and rationell, (hmmmm where
have I heard THAT before) and .....well to make a long story short the
instrument was unpacked after shipping from the manufacturer and went out of
immediatly... so much so that it was unusable. It stayed at Bulls house here
near Bergen, and later got turned into a writing desk in order to find
something usefull for it. It remains there today as a tribute to human.....
something or another. :)


>I am actually tickled by the idea, tuning speaking length by running 
>electrical current through them. I think it's ingenious.
>

Just make sure Martha doesnt over water her plants eh ??

RicB
Richard Brekne
RPT NPTF
Griegakadamiet UiB