Inharmonicity

[Newton Hunt]

robert sadowski wrote:
> 
> Dear list,
>      A thought occurred to me concerning the practice of rescaling.  I know
> the first reason to do so is that we are improving the piano.  Admittidly,
> the early designers didn't have access to the tools we have now and would
> have used them if they had.
> I can't help comparing this to genetic engineering.  Are we possibly
> changing the nature of the instrument that two hundred years of evolution
> has brought us to?  Could it be that a certain amount of inharmonicity is
> part of the charm of the piano?  I'll admit that a Kimball spinet doesn't
> have a lot of charm and a lot of the other. I haven't seen this slant
> brought up before.  I hope it generates some opinions.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Bob Sadowski RPT
> Erie, PA

The object of rescaling is to bring inharmonicity under control so it
varies the least possible from one note to the next.  Bass strings have
been installed with no regard to inharmonicity, tension, power, or
breaking %.

Rescaling makes the piano more tunable and often makes a piano sound
larger than it is because on the control of the above factors.

It also helps to use superior hammers to those originally installed.

	Newton
	nhunt@jagat.com