Bluthner Tuning

[Aart in America Piano Services]

Thank you Ed, also very helpful.
Aart

On Jan 31, 2006, at 10:42 PM, A440A@aol.com wrote:

> Susan writes:
>
> << Take out the last mute, and see what happens to the
>
> unison and its timbre, when played normally. Often it starts to sound
>
> crummy. Pluck the fourth string to be sure it isn't out in left field, 
> and
>
> then move it a very short distance up and down, until the unison rings
>
> sweetly again.   The timbre of the unison
>
> determines where the fourth string is tuned, not its exact pitch, but 
> it
>
> should be close to the others. <<
>
>    Greetings,
>      I have found that the Bluther's extra string gives me the best 
> results
> when it is tuned just slightly flatter than the unison.  I think it is 
> because
> of the phase interaction, operating through the Weinreich-described 
> coupling
> at the bridge, produces more sustain.
>      When the frequency of the impelling force (the unison) is lower 
> than the
> resonant period of the structure upon which it is acting, (the fourth
> string), the two will always be in phase.  If the impelling frequency 
> is higher, the
> two will be out of phase.  It is this out of phase arrangement that 
> augments
> sustain.
>       Think of pushing a swing;  if the swing takes 5 seconds to go 
> out and
> return, and you give it a push every 5.1 seconds, you will always be 
> helping it
> go away from you.  If you push it ever 4.9 seconds, you will be 
> resisting it
> every cycle. By creating this micro-resistance between the unison and 
> the
> sympathetic fourth string, I believe that it takes longer for the 
> unison's energy
> to pass through the bridge, thus more sustain.
>     If I tune the fourth string higher, the tone seems to be more 
> brilliant
> or louder, but of shorter duration.
> Just a thought,
> Regards,
> Ed Foote
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