Trouble with Treble (was Re: pianotech-digest V1997 #853)

[Jim Coleman, Sr.]

Hi "Z":

A plucked string will exhibit a lower pitch than a hammer struck string
because the amplitude excursion of the struck string is greater, thereby
increasing the tension which eventually normalizes. The Plucked string
gives clearer definition of sound. I never tune by plucking because plucking
does not settle the strings as well. However, I will pluck after I have 
tuned a unison in the 7th octave to find out if I can improve one side or
the other of the unison.

Jim Coleman, Sr.


On Tue, 2 Jun 1998, Z! Reinhardt wrote:

> Hi Jim!
> 
> I *hear* you!
> 
> I think a lot of the problem is that those high treble notes are often very
> blurred for any number of reasons -- false beats, bad terminations,
> blown-out bridges, mis-shapened hammers, corrosion on the strings,
> sympathetic vibrations from neighboring strings (and the unmatched partials
> from that) lingering beyond the decay of the original note as struck ......
> 
> Striking the key repeatedly 4-5 times a second helps a little because the
> sound doesn't have a chance to fully decay before the SAT starts paying
> closer attention to the sympathetic vibrations.  Plucking the strings with
> a fingernail or guitar pick is really no help for reasons I really cannot
> yet explain (I have some hunches, but I would like to hear from the more
> articulate physicists on this) -- the same string will give readings of
> entirely different pitches depending on whether it was struck or plucked.
> 
> Other thoughts, opinions, anyone?
> 
> Z! Reinhardt RPT
> Ann Arbor  MI
> diskladame@provide.net
> 
> ----------
> > From: james turner <JTTUNER@webtv.net>
> > To: pianotech@ptg.org
> > Subject: Re: pianotech-digest V1997 #853
> > Date: Tuesday, June 02, 1998 2:58 AM
> > 
> > The discussion about the SAT vs RCT the past few days has been
> > interesting.  Sometime this year, I want to get either a RCT or the
> > SATlll.  I haven't seen an RCT yet, but it seems to compute a better
> > tuning with the more information it records over the FAC of the SAT.
> > Will some of you guys comment on this as I would really like to know.  
> > 
> > Also, is the RCT really harder to read over the LED's of the SAT?  With
> > my current SAT ll, I often have trouble reading the last two octaves in
> > the high treble.  This has always anoyed me to no end.  Moving the
> > machine sometimes help, but often it doesn't.  
> > 
> > In the bass, even on spinets, the SAT is always quite clean and a joy to
> > use.  But when I get into the last treble octave or so, I often have to
> > do it by ear because the machine just isn't clear enough no matter how
> > long I stare at it.    I sent it in awhile back to have it checked out,
> > and the Sanderson's said it was ok.  
> > 
> > I have never heard anyone else mention this problem with the SAT and the
> > high treble so is it just me or what.  If I decide to get a RCT, I hope
> > it does better in the high octaves than the SAT.  
> > Jim Turner
>