[CAUT] Shank Pitch

[Richard Brekne]

Hi Jim.

Point taken, and I think I understood you from the beginning. I'm 
assuming that the kind of differences in tone that a looser pin will 
make are different then a shank with a soft spot causing an abnormally 
low resonant frequency.  But, since I dont know more specifics about 
what Chris was exactly getting at... I'll have to reserve further 
judgement until I get a chance to try this out myself.

Sorting by frequency ahead of time is indeed easier then sorting by 
weighing.  And all this has gotten my head a scratch'n again :)... so on 
the set of D shanks I'm about to weigh I will cross check just for the 
sake of interest.  I have a set of weighed shanks ready to install for a 
Bechstein B also... I can check the resonant frequencies of them and 
cross check them as well. Should go fast enough.

Most certainly tho... if Chris has demonstrated that pinning can effect 
shank resonant frequency... then these are best sorted ahead of time.  
I've heard of the adjustable friction flange... but never tried them... 
so I cant speak as to how they work.  Perhaps Stanwood himself may chirp 
in here.

Cheers
RicB


    Ric,

    My point was only that pinning irregularities (along with some other
    factors) can also cause differences in tone. While your teacher's
    demonstration showed something, how would you know it is shank
    differences and not something else w/o taking off a shank and
    thumping it? I'm not trying to "be contrary" as someone else said,
    it's just that this demonstration of thumping a block of wood, then
    taking off the shank and showing the shanks are indeed different
    (bad?) would be a very good trick to know. You answered that below
    by saying that they replaced the bad shanks. This may be easier than
    all this weighing/measuring of shanks! (Hence my query) That's why I
    thought what you said was very important.

    BTW, Chris won't publish the pinning studies. He said they were not
    extensive enough, but that they basically showed him that tone is
    indeed affected by loose/tight pinning. (Something most of us
    accept, but many do not, and thus don't repin often) I've heard that
    David Stanwood has some "adjustable flanges" that have some kind of
    screw adjustment to increase/decrease friction, and that this has a
    marked affect on tone. I'd sure like to see a study on that! It
    would disprove Steinway's assertion (In their manual) that "A flange
    may have zero friction as long as there is no side play..." This is
    simply bunk, IMO.

    Regards,
    Jim Busby