Joseph Alkana wrote: > > At 06:02 PM 3/30/97 -0800, you wrote: > >List: Last week I had one of those service calls that I did everything > >wrong! > >And don't forget my question. Could the piano have sounded much sweeter at > >38cents flat without all those high harmonic overtones? > > > >Carol Beigel > > > > Carol, > I really enjoyed your story, in fact I shared it with my wife because there > have been times that I, too, wound up in the same type of situation. Sharing > your thoughts was very enlightening for her. > > I cannot speak scientifically about those higher harmonics being so much > more prevalent at pitch, but I do believe they are much more piercing to the > ear when you start socking in those unisons. ( Thank God I now wear > earplugs!) Listening to a piano of that type (Korean, high tension scale, > possible laminate soundboard) right after tuning always seems to make a > strong case for voicing. I now call the customer in by the piano to > demonstrate a voiced hammer so that comparisons can be made. Also the "nasty > sound" now coming out of the piano is reviewed with the customer and > explained as best as possible, along with possible remedies. > Steve Brady and Susan Willanger demonstrated a technique of hammer steaming > at a PTG chapter meeting here in Seattle. The effect of the voicing was > about as dramatic as anything I've seen demonstrated yet on a piano. For me > and my customers, this is now the best option to start with in any remedial > action regarding voicing of those Asian pianos. > > I now have "steamed" about 50 pianos in the manner they demonstrated with > generally good reception from my clients. On three occassions I had a > complaint that the volume was attenuated to some degree. Students of one > teacher client were saying the the piano sounded like it had a rag stuffed > in the piano. These complaints, however, were completely stopped after a > small amount of time had gone by. Either people got used to the sound or > else the sound changed slightly back to a crisper, clearer tone. I hesitate > to say brighter, because that was the tone quality we were trying to > eliminate. Now, when I voice with steam, I really pound the hammers into a > voicing block to put back a slight edge to the tone just before I quit > working. That has made a real difference in the first perceptions of the > voicing. > > Thanks again for sharing your story with us. > > Joseph Alkana RPT Dear Joseph: Would - and could - you describe the steaming process. Dan Hallett, Jr. Registered Piano Technician dhalle@toolcity.net
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