[CAUT] Weights vs Riblets in an S&S D

[Andrew Anderson]

Listmembers,
Some questions in response to the journal article; practical application.

I service an S&S D where we are really unsatisfied with the mid to 
upper treble killer octaves.  I describe the sound a fuzzy.  The 
upper partials clash and do not settle into a clear ringing 
tone.  The high treble is fine.  This is the kind of sound you get 
from cheap chinese grands when you try to play them 
loud--distortion.  Problem is it happens at all dynamic 
levels.  Needling hasn't helped, shellac got us back some power but 
the sound still fritzes and fuzzes on us.  The Steinway Artist I was 
working with voted for replacement with Hamburg hammers (I'll second 
that one).  I was thinking about swapping in different hammers to 
check if it is the hammers but with this article I wonder about other 
solutions.  This four going on five year old S&S D has other issues 
but tonally we are experiencing a weaker, unresolved tone in this area.

Would the use of riblets improve this situation?  I clamped a small 
grip on a bridge-pin and did not notice a difference here and so 
didn't explore soundboard impedance any further.  Perhaps stiffness 
and reducing the resonant frequency a little would help?

Comments?

Andrew Anderson at TAMIU 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/20070729/5b31b4cf/attachment.html