Standard Pitch 1870 to Present

[Farrell]

Comments & a few questions below:

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Delwin D Fandrich" <pianobuilders@olynet.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2001 1:55 PM
Subject: Re: Standard Pitch 1870 to Present


>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: September 18, 2001 5:10 AM
> Subject: Standard Pitch 1870 to Present
>
>
>
> >
> > 1) Any sweat tuning a piano designed for 435 to 440 beyond the string
> > breakage potential? Basically, why not? I am asking about any piano -
new
> or
> > old - but especially an old one, such as the Everett.
>
> Whether you raise a sweat or not while doing this depends a lot on your
> personal physiology and on how hot and humid it is down there. It's in the
> mid-60s and not terribly humid up (and out) here so, no, we wouldn't sweat
> much at all doing this.

Geeeez, always gotta be so technical?

> Raising pitch from 435 to 440 represents something less than a 2.5%
increase
> in overall tension--I'm sure Ron will give you the exact amount. With
> probably 99.9% of the old pianos out there this will not be a problem.
It's
> up to you to determine if the piano facing you is one of the 99.9% or part
> of the 0.01%. With a piano like an Everett which, (at least in the
> beginning) had a reputation for exceptionally solid construction, I'd not
> worry.

> > 2) ....Or is
> > there something about the design of the piano that might dictate its
> optimal
> > pitch?
>
> Not that I'm aware of. I've encountered several makes and models of pianos
> over the years that, depending on when they were built, were labeled both
> A=435 and A=440. You pays your money and takes your pick. Or, in the
> immortal words of one of our more infamous philosophers, "...just screw
it,
> and tune 'em where you want them to be?"

Hmmm. Now who woulda said that?

> >
> > 3) I would like to try the new stainless steel Absolute Sound wire. They
> > make two strengths - regular strength for "older pianos" and high
strength
> > for "modern pianos".
>
> Personally I'd be a bit cautious using stainless steel wire in a piano. It
> might work quite well in some cases but I suspect its tensile strength is
> some low and it tends to gall when rubbing against another metal surface
> with much force. I guess I'd want to try a few samples under test
conditions
> for a while first.

Thanks for the advise, I will look into that.

> > So I have a square I am restringing. I also have a 1900
> > Bechstein that I will be restringing. Is my Bechstein an older piano?
Yes.
> > Is it modern? Looks modern also to me. (I have talked to Absolute Sound
> > folks, and I get the feeling their recommendations are just "shooting
from
> > the hip".) Should the selection of the string type depend on a stringing
> > scale analysis (by a knowledgeable analyst - not me)?
>
> Yes, the selection of the string type should depend on a stringing scale
> analysis with the needs of the scale being then compared with the known
> characteristics of the wire.
>
> I have very little information on the scaling characteristics of squares.
> Nor do I want to accumulate any. Check with Joe Garrett. On the Bechstein,
> however, you might encounter a quite high-tension scale.

Assuming you are game, you will be designing a new soundboard, bridges, and
stringing scale for this piano. But first a couple boards in uprights to
warm up with.  :-)

> > Are we getting into
> > "low tension scales" and "high tension scales" with this? Are these two
> > general classifications where these two types of strings would be used?
> What
> > is a "low" and "high" tensions scale? A low scale on the same piano
would
> > have lower tension and less mass for any given string? In general, why
> would
> > a designer choose a low or high tension scale?
>
> Sorry, this takes up quite a lot of a 3 hr class on string scaling. But,
> yes, you're getting into 'low-tension' vs 'high-tension' scales here. Come
> to Texas in October.

Oooooo, Texas is a no-can-do. Will you be giving a class on scaling in
Chicago??? I WILL be there!

> > Am I asking too many questions? I suspect someone will simply provide me
> > with a reference. That would be OK. But I suspect some of the above
> > questions will not be answered in a book. Hoping for both I guess.
Thanks
> to
> > anyone.
>
> Sadly there are no references that go into this. At least none that I'm
> aware of. I do go into it quite a bit in the class I'm currently
doing--come
> to Texas next month--but other than that I don't know of anywhere else to
> send you.

Can you recommend a software package for designing stringing scales? I know
it takes a lot more than just pushing a few buttons to design a great scale,
but I suspect the playing and analyzing would be a great educational tool.

> Del
>
>