Oops... Re: Unusual rib structure?

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Smith" <dsmith941@comcast.net>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: May 08, 2003 8:03 AM
Subject: Re: Oops... Re: Unusual rib structure?


> Del, your description of modal analysis was lucid.  I did this kind of
> research for the auto industry in the 1970-80's using Fourier Analyzers.
> Since retiring I have forgotten more than I ever knew, most likely.  I
had
> assumed that this kind of research had already been done to exhaustion on
> pianos, but have not searched for the technical papers.  Has modal
analysis
> been done systematically on pianos?  Is there any interest  in or
> useful application for, this kind of information today?  I am not
> volunteering, you understand, as I am trying very hard to become a
competent
> piano technician, and this would likely be a distraction.  But it would
make
> a good university graduate research project if not already done AND if it
> was useful information.
>

Very little of this work has been done to my knowledge. And the few
projects I am aware of have been done with bare boards--i.e., no string
attached. Unfortunately doing a full modal analysis on an unstrung board
doesn't tell us much. Nor does a modal analysis of the board in one piano
tell us much about the specific characteristic of a board in another piano.

Del