Stephen Birkett wrote: > > ... We say we want the piano to "sound like it > > did when it was new." The trouble with all of this lovely sentiment is -- > > we don't have a clue as to what it sounded like when it was new. None of > > us were there when that piano rolled of the assembly line. And even if we > > had been, our tone memory is simply not that good or that consistent. > > > We don't have to have been there to deduce the original character of > something...otherwise history would be relegated to fiction, and no-one > would study anything but current events. It doesn't take the deductive > powers of a Sherlock Holmes to distinguish between: > > 1. Board A is deteriorated and consequently the piano it's in is not > sounding its best. Fix it, replace it, whatever it takes....subject to > historical artifact considerations. We've been through, and are apparently > going through again with Marilyn Monroe, the techniques ad infinitum on > the list. > VS > 2. Board B is in perfect condition and, notwithstanding other > considerations, ephermera that need replacing, the piano is presumably > sounding as it did when new (more of less). > > The debate is really whether case 2. occurs. As far as historical pianos > it most certainly does, whether or not it can be verified by time > machine. Recognition of case 2. is simply possible by eliminating case 1. > > Del's theory on the inevitability of case 1. (like the end of the world), > no matter how cleverly concealed, brings us back to that arrheodictic vs > rheodictic debate. But in fact that is really irrelevant. Even if wood > *is* rheodictic, i.e. continues linear creep strain under finite load over > infinite time...observation of historical artifacts and structures (again) > implies time dependent creep strain is insignificant over human time > scales (which is all that really matters). Of course, that applies to > loads that don't cause failure within a short period of time (2, 3 maybe 10 > years?....as any good design will satisfy. > > Stephen ------------------------------- As I've said before, what constitutes good design in one case does not necessarily constitute good design in a completely different situation. Both design and process must be appropriate to their situation. Del
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