[CAUT] WAPIN Installation

[RicB]

Friends:

Please, lets not stretch out our spine-pins and jump into respective 
corners waiting for the bell to ring.  Jim, I agree that some very good 
questions have been put forward and deserve a good answer.  I am sure 
given the spirit of you last sentence that you will agree that the 
absence of any studies shows nothing in itself.  As far as Ottos post is 
concerned.  I did not see that it was directed at anyone in particular.  
Perhaps there are things hidden from me, but I cant see how these 
remarks, nor those of Michaels could be directed at you.  On the other 
hand... there has been and no doubt will continue to be commentary from 
some that *are* deserving of such reaction. Indeed, and quite so.

I agree there is much about Wapin that seems interesting and needs 
closer scientific scrutiny. I also have had first hand experience and 
was left with the impression that there was a clear difference in sound 
character, tho I'll be the first to admit my impressions thus are far 
from conclusive evidence.  From a speculative standpoint... it would 
seem to me that altering the semi-clamp that the bridge pin / bridge 
surface combine to enforce upon the string such that it becomes 
significantly less clamp-like would very likely cause some change in how 
the system performs... ultimately affecting the overall sound. I would 
think the added mass of the extra pins to be less significant... after 
all... we are only talking around 50 grams for the whole piano... less 
the removed mass of the wood drilled out to make room for them.  But... 
this is all speculation based on a few bits I think I know about 
things.  Nice for discussion... perhaps good to put down on paper before 
planning any real science.... but otherwise quite useless.  Certainly... 
none of our speculations are worth arguing about. And certainly... none 
of the attempts at any real science are worth simply discarding without 
further ado.

Cheers
RicB


    COMMENT:  Then I examined the 1929 Wapinized D in Cincinnati and
    compared
    it with the 1984 a few years ago, I did like the 1929 better.  The
    sustaining quality in the upper octaves did sound better to me, and
    I said
    so to Michael Wathen at the time.  However, I could not determine if the
    difference were because of the WAPIN, of simply a result of the total
    rebuilding the piano had been given.  I did not notice the peculiar
    characteristic in note D3 that shows up in the web site spectrums.

    COMMENT:  The questions that some of us have recently reased have
    been good
    questions, neither for nor against the WAPIN, but merely asking for more
    scientifically acceptable data than those that have been presented. 
    I just
    read Otto Keyes November 5 post.  His reference to posts such as mine as
    "authority of ignorance" and "pigeon pooh" is off limits, does not
    belong
    on this list, and I resent it.  

    COMMENT:  Michael Wathen's disparaging remarks about the piano
    industry are
    not very well received either, nor was I talking about subjective
    opinions.
     I was talking about data that are supposed to show that the Wapin
    either
    does or does not make a difference - data that in my opinion, show
    neither,
    and leave the question wide open.

    Sincerely, Jim Ellis