<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1555" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>Hello all,</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>here are some photos from the recent Wapin installation seminar at Brandon University.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>You may recall my skepticism about Wapin. After reading the amazing claims on the Wapin website, I e-mailed Tim Geinert and asked "are you willing to prove it!?"</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>Even when he generously offered to travel here and answer my challenge, the doubts remained</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>... "is the piano going to sound wierd, will we need scientific equipment to tell, or are we all just going to agree to "imagine" what we hear.(!?)"  </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>Fortunately the results were NOT subtle. T</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>he improvement I personally witnessed in this piano was profound, more to the order of a <EM>transformation</EM>.  </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>Every pianist, even those who had been quite vocal about their dislike for this "plinky" instrument noticed it right away, without prompting... "it lingers, what did you do to open the sound?..." Some were arrested within a few bars, and one at the very first chord! </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>And as musicians do, <SPAN class=710430920-04122006> they all </SPAN><SPAN class=710430920-04122006>seemed to</SPAN><SPAN class=710430920-04122006> conveniently </SPAN><SPAN class=710430920-04122006>forget</SPAN><SPAN class=710430920-04122006> a</SPAN><SPAN class=710430920-04122006>bout </SPAN>the bad regulation, wobbly keys and uneven voicing they had pointed out beforehand, and<SPAN class=710430920-04122006> </SPAN>zero in on <SPAN class=710430920-04122006>something else</SPAN>,<SPAN class=710430920-04122006> in fact </SPAN>the<SPAN class=710430920-04122006> </SPAN>only<SPAN class=710430920-04122006> "some</SPAN>thing<SPAN class=710430920-04122006> else </SPAN><SPAN class=710430920-04122006>" </SPAN>that had <SPAN class=710430920-04122006>actually </SPAN>changed. <SPAN class=710430920-04122006> By</SPAN><SPAN class=710430920-04122006> their own words, </SPAN>this <SPAN class=710430920-04122006> "</SPAN>ugly<SPAN class=710430920-04122006>" </SPAN>instrument went from "unplayable" to "vibrant," and from "completely un-interesting" to "wonderful," albeit within 24 hours! </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=260002819-28112006><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=710430920-04122006></SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=260002819-28112006><FONT size=+0><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=710430920-04122006>For us</SPAN> technicians however, trying to<SPAN class=710430920-04122006> desribe </SPAN><SPAN class=710430920-04122006>any</SPAN> improvement using the tired old adjectives "warmer, richer, stronger, faster, etc." gets real lame in a hurry. So </FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN><FONT size=+0><SPAN class=260002819-28112006><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'll put it this way; when I install new hammers, or deep-needle the shoulders, or carefully fit them to the strings, I have a certain aural expectation in mind. Sometimes I'm pleased, sometimes disappointed.</FONT></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0><SPAN class=260002819-28112006><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=+0><SPAN class=260002819-28112006><FONT face=Arial size=2>By comparison, the effect Wapin displayed on this instument would be <EM>greater</EM> than my expectation of any of the three routines described above, and at least <EM>equal</EM> to the combination of all three put together, in their perceived ability to enhance a piano's sound. I hope this paints a helpful picture.</FONT></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>My humble recommendation...</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>If you're the type who prefers to wallow in the mild bemusement of actually doing something, over the heady exhilaration of sublime speculation and endless debate, find a profoundly disappointing instrument (preferably the work of thine own hands) and try this Wapin thing out for yourself. Make your own conclusions.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>Retro-fitting is less work than a typical bridge-repinning, and I think they even have a "how to" DVD. I<SPAN class=710430920-04122006>'m sure t</SPAN>he results will make this little adventure more than worth your while. </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>As for the skeptic, <SPAN class=710430920-04122006>well </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN class=260002819-28112006><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>I've just ordered a Wapin license ($325.00 U.S.) for the 1923 Mason & Hamlin A I'm currently rebuilding<SPAN class=710430920-04122006> and intend to for the 1885 Steinway A, and possibly the 1912 B ... (</SPAN>I might occasionaly be cheap, but I ain't stupid. ;>)  </SPAN></DIV></SPAN></FONT></FONT> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>Finally, I have to express an overwhelming debt of gratitude to Tim Geinert. Not just for the generousity of his time, and so capably sharing a valuable skill, but for taking a disappointing piano within my care, and transforming it to a musical level I had otherwise been unable to achieve.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>Thanks Tim!</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>best regards,</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>Mark Cramer,</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>Brandon University</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006>PS One strange thing; you can actually "feel the resonance" through the keys. All the pianists noticed this. It's not in the least bit distracting, actually we tend to think it's kind of cool!</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=260002819-28112006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>