what's with the new temperaments?(x post)

[A440A@aol.com]

 Richard  writes:

<< Aslo... have we come to any agreement on a basic set of questions to ask 
?<<

   AGREEMENT???  That would end everything!!(:)}} 

>>They should be set up so as to not be leading the pianist in any particular
direction. Very general things about touch and sound. I should think really
the pianist should not even be aware that the difference has to do directly
with temperements, but could just as easily be about some action
modification or something else. >>

I agree with this.  I would ask, "Which of these two pianos feels better?"  
and go from there.  Pianists often don't separate touch weight from voicing, 
but they know how the piano "feels" to them.  Starting from the loosest 
characterization may do the least to influence them.  If you mention tuning 
differences, they stop listening musically, and begin to hunt around for 
obscure things that may be lurking.  
   To be objective requires the least amount of suggestion, and for that, I 
vote for "how do these two feel"?  After you get a response, then you might 
say,  "They are tuned slightly differently, which sound do you like?"  
 
Ed Foote