Scaling problem

[Joseph Garrett]

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Kevin,=20
It's poor design, IMO. Several years ago I rescaled the GH1, when they =
were having problems with the area you described. They paid for the =
service and never used it. I might add that I have redone several of =
those GH1's and they are not that bad to deal with when the scale is =
right. Yamaha also asked me not to discuss the problems with that =
particular model, publicly. Well, one of their own techs., (not to be =
named), let the cat out of bag, so I don't have any qualms about =
discussing it. They have since changed that model gazillion times and =
still haven't, IMHO, used my scale solution or fixed the basic scaling =
problems of that piano. I don't want to pick on just Yamaha however. =
There are gross scale problems with many current manufacturers. I =
suspect some of the problem lies with the inability of string makers to =
understand and impliment proper bass string configurations.
Regards,
Joe Garrett, R.P.T.
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Kevin E. Ramsey=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Friday, May 18, 2001 7:23 PM
  Subject: Scaling problem


      I've noticed something on some newer pianos lately, and decided to =
ask the opinion of the sages on the list. I've been encountering more =
and more pianos of late that seem to have a real scaling problem in the =
low tenor section. Baldwin model 248 comes to mind; ( the last note in =
the tenor is C# I believe), but where I really see it is in the new =
Yamaha model GA1, and to a lesser extent in the GH1. What is happening =
is that the designers of these pianos have put too many notes in the =
tenor that belong in the bass. As you play chromatically down the scale, =
these notes start sounding like "pong-pong-pong" and then you hit the =
bass, and they sound normal again.
      I know that this is caused by continuing to drop the tension on =
the strings in order to get the fundamental down to the required =
frequency, but you reach a certain point, and you get a tone that seems =
hollow and is very difficult to fit in with the rest of the tuning.
      I've had some partial success with carefully doping the hammers, =
and voicing the bass down, plus leveling strings, straightening =
termination points etc., but not to any totally satisfactory result.=20
      Got any good advise? I'm all ears. =20
  =20
      Or is it just poor design?
  =20
  =20
  Kevin E. Ramsey
  ramsey@extremezone.com=20

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