Hi Frank! Are we talking about the top octave here? So many variables can affect the sustain in that range. Ron has already talked about determining whether or not the problem lies with the hammers, or the *belly* of the beast (soundboard etc.) Often sheer tuning has a huge effect on the sustaining abilities of the high treble. If the octaves are not absolutely clean, you will hear little more than variations on the theme of plink. You will know when you've hit the sweet spot in tuning those octaves, because the tone will suddenly open up and ring. Go beyond the sweet spot and once again you will hear little more than plink. Z! Reinhardt RPT Ann Arbor MI diskladame@provide.net ---------- From: Frank Cahill <fcahill@erols.com> To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Re: tone sustain Date: Wednesday, September 23, 1998 10:29 PM A long-time client just moved up to a Boston upright. I gave the piano its second tuning. I had never worked on one of these pianos...it's pretty much like a Kawai (I think they build it) or Young Chang. The only complaint from the owner is that the upper notes do not sustain very long. It's apparently very noticeable to her and her paino teacher. I wonder...if I were to voice the hammers down, would that help matters? My guess is that the hammers are so hard that the intial amplitude it quite high (loud with lots of prominant upper partials). Then the decay time (sustain), while being normal, appears shorter because the extreme change in amplitude from very loud to soft happens so quickly. I don't do much voicing, so I'm in above my head. Thanks -- Frank Cahill Associate Member Northern Va
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