I am forwarding the report below on behalf of Mark Cramer as he is not subscribed to Pianotech. He has also posted this report on CAUT Terry Beckingham >Date: Mon, 04 Dec 2006 14:40:52 -0600 >From: Mark Cramer <Cramer at BrandonU.ca> >To: CAUT <caut at ptg.org> >X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) >Importance: Normal >Subject: [CAUT] Wapin Seminar Report >X-BeenThere: caut at ptg.org >X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.7 >Reply-To: College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org> >Sender: caut-bounces at ptg.org >X-Xplornet-MailScanner-Information: Please contact the ISP for more >information >X-Xplornet-MailScanner: Found to be clean >X-Xplornet-MailScanner-From: caut-bounces at ptg.org >X-Spam-Status: No >X-NAS-BWL: Found match for 'Cramer at BrandonU.ca' on the allowed list (219 >addresses, 0 domains) >X-NAS-Classification: 0 >X-NAS-MessageID: 19422 >X-NAS-Validation: {B604C2D8-0B98-49C9-B7B3-4AF989CF8907} > >Hello all, > >here are some photos from the recent Wapin installation seminar at Brandon >University. > >You may recall my skepticism about Wapin. After reading the amazing claims >on the Wapin website, I e-mailed Tim Geinert and asked "are you willing to >prove it!?" > >Even when he generously offered to travel here and answer my challenge, >the doubts remained... "is the piano going to sound wierd, will we need >scientific equipment to tell, or are we all just going to agree to >"imagine" what we hear.(!?)" > >Fortunately the results were NOT subtle. The improvement I personally >witnessed in this piano was profound, more to the order of a transformation. > >Every pianist, even those who had been quite vocal about their dislike for >this "plinky" instrument noticed it right away, without prompting... "it >lingers, what did you do to open the sound?..." Some were arrested within >a few bars, and one at the very first chord! > >And as musicians do, they all seemed to conveniently forget about the bad >regulation, wobbly keys and uneven voicing they had pointed out >beforehand, and zero in on something else, in fact the only "something >else " that had actually changed. By their own words, this "ugly" >instrument went from "unplayable" to "vibrant," and from "completely >un-interesting" to "wonderful," albeit within 24 hours! > >For us technicians however, trying to desribe any improvement using the >tired old adjectives "warmer, richer, stronger, faster, etc." gets real >lame in a hurry. So I'll put it this way; when I install new hammers, or >deep-needle the shoulders, or carefully fit them to the strings, I have a >certain aural expectation in mind. Sometimes I'm pleased, sometimes >disappointed. > >By comparison, the effect Wapin displayed on this instument would be >greater than my expectation of any of the three routines described above, >and at least equal to the combination of all three put together, in their >perceived ability to enhance a piano's sound. I hope this paints a helpful >picture. > >My humble recommendation... > >If you're the type who prefers to wallow in the mild bemusement of >actually doing something, over the heady exhilaration of sublime >speculation and endless debate, find a profoundly disappointing instrument >(preferably the work of thine own hands) and try this Wapin thing out for >yourself. Make your own conclusions. > >Retro-fitting is less work than a typical bridge-repinning, and I think >they even have a "how to" DVD. I'm sure the results will make this little >adventure more than worth your while. > >As for the skeptic, well I've just ordered a Wapin license ($325.00 U.S.) >for the 1923 Mason & Hamlin A I'm currently rebuilding and intend to for >the 1885 Steinway A, and possibly the 1912 B ... (I might occasionaly be >cheap, but I ain't stupid. ;>) > >Finally, I have to express an overwhelming debt of gratitude to Tim >Geinert. Not just for the generousity of his time, and so capably sharing >a valuable skill, but for taking a disappointing piano within my care, and >transforming it to a musical level I had otherwise been unable to achieve. > >Thanks Tim! > >best regards, >Mark Cramer, >Brandon University > >PS One strange thing; you can actually "feel the resonance" through the >keys. All the pianists noticed this. It's not in the least bit >distracting, actually we tend to think it's kind of cool! > > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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