[CAUT] capsizing / catstrophic action failure

[Fred Sturm]

On Feb 28, 2006, at 2:41 PM, Ron Nossaman wrote:
> Thanks Fred, that's why I asked. Here, we get up in the 70s%RH  
> inside in Summer, and usually not much below 25% in Winter, though  
> it's been dryer this year. Winter brings the complaints about tonal  
> problems anywhere and everywhere from octave 5 up, and Summer  
> brings the magic and often dramatic sweetening of sound,  
> disappearance of killer octave attack "splatter", increased  
> sustain, and spontaneous healing of false beating trebles. With  
> drier wet cycles, there wouldn't be the contrast that makes the  
> yearly dry season complaints so obvious. I know we all grade on the  
> curve from lack of having experience at EVERYTHING possible. But  
> then plenty of my own brain cells haven't checked in for some time  
> now either.
>
> Ron N

Hi Ron,
	I don't want anyone to make a lot of the opinion I expressed (pianos  
at 10% RH "sound just fine to me"). But I think I have enough  
experience listening to pianos in wetter climes (at nationals, etc.)  
that if below 20% meant a complete disaster, my ears/musical sense  
would complain. I'm not sure I'm the best judge, as I approach pianos  
as a pianist, meaning I adjust to what's there and make what I can of  
it. I don't have a lot of pre-conceptions that I want to have  
fulfilled. OTOH, there is a bottom line of resonance, power, sustain  
that I'd miss if it were really missing, at least I think so.
	My experience has led me to take with a grain of salt claims that  
flat boards and zero DB mean a piano is unusable. I don't find it so,  
personally. But I'm just one guy out here with my own limited  
experiences and acuity.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm@unm.edu