Ed Foote on the Box (was NY Times Article)

[A440A@aol.com]

Bob writes: 
>> It turns out that I really DON'T tune the same piano the same way each
> time. The explanation lies in the fact that the FREQUENCIES of the partials
> change  due to humidity and plain aging (the inharmonicity doesn't measure 
the
 >same every time), and the BALANCE of the partials (and even the frequency)
> changes  with voicing. Different voicing requires a different stretch.

Greetings, 
      Hmm,  does this mean that master tunings for Guild tests have a shelf 
life?  
I confess that the differences to the FAC with aging might be noted when 
measuring, but the effective difference in the piano sound?  I dunno.  
     I have a studio piano that was tuned 123 times last year.  I use the 
same numbers on the machine and I haven't noticed that piano changing 
anything I could detect.  I still find about 1 bps in the triple octave from 
C40 up, and the bass is still true to the 2:1 that I have found necessary in 
the last two octaves, (to keep the ensemble complaints down from the bass 
players).   This piano is repeatedly used to add overdubs to previously 
recorded tracks, often with several months interim, and there has never been 
any question arise about it matching.   
   Just how much deviation would one expect to the FAC curve in a year long 
interval?  (I am always curious as to exactly how much I am missing....(:)}}
Regards, 
Ed Foote