Fwd: [CAUT] Wapin Seminar Report

[terryb]

I am forwarding the report below on behalf of Mark Cramer as he is not 
subscribed to Pianotech. He has also posted this report on CAUT

Terry Beckingham


>Date: Mon, 04 Dec 2006 14:40:52 -0600
>From: Mark Cramer <Cramer at BrandonU.ca>
>To: CAUT <caut at ptg.org>
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>Subject: [CAUT] Wapin Seminar Report
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>Hello all,
>
>here are some photos from the recent Wapin installation seminar at Brandon 
>University.
>
>You may recall my skepticism about Wapin. After reading the amazing claims 
>on the Wapin website, I e-mailed Tim Geinert and asked "are you willing to 
>prove it!?"
>
>Even when he generously offered to travel here and answer my challenge, 
>the doubts remained... "is the piano going to sound wierd, will we need 
>scientific equipment to tell, or are we all just going to agree to 
>"imagine" what we hear.(!?)"
>
>Fortunately the results were NOT subtle. The improvement I personally 
>witnessed in this piano was profound, more to the order of a transformation.
>
>Every pianist, even those who had been quite vocal about their dislike for 
>this "plinky" instrument noticed it right away, without prompting... "it 
>lingers, what did you do to open the sound?..." Some were arrested within 
>a few bars, and one at the very first chord!
>
>And as musicians do,  they all seemed to conveniently forget about the bad 
>regulation, wobbly keys and uneven voicing they had pointed out 
>beforehand, and zero in on something else, in fact the only "something 
>else " that had actually changed.  By their own words, this  "ugly" 
>instrument went from "unplayable" to "vibrant," and from "completely 
>un-interesting" to "wonderful," albeit within 24 hours!
>
>For us technicians however, trying to desribe any improvement using the 
>tired old adjectives "warmer, richer, stronger, faster, etc." gets real 
>lame in a hurry. So I'll put it this way; when I install new hammers, or 
>deep-needle the shoulders, or carefully fit them to the strings, I have a 
>certain aural expectation in mind. Sometimes I'm pleased, sometimes 
>disappointed.
>
>By comparison, the effect Wapin displayed on this instument would be 
>greater than my expectation of any of the three routines described above, 
>and at least equal to the combination of all three put together, in their 
>perceived ability to enhance a piano's sound. I hope this paints a helpful 
>picture.
>
>My humble recommendation...
>
>If you're the type who prefers to wallow in the mild bemusement of 
>actually doing something, over the heady exhilaration of sublime 
>speculation and endless debate, find a profoundly disappointing instrument 
>(preferably the work of thine own hands) and try this Wapin thing out for 
>yourself. Make your own conclusions.
>
>Retro-fitting is less work than a typical bridge-repinning, and I think 
>they even have a "how to" DVD. I'm sure the results will make this little 
>adventure more than worth your while.
>
>As for the skeptic, well I've just ordered a Wapin license ($325.00 U.S.) 
>for the 1923 Mason & Hamlin A I'm currently rebuilding and intend to for 
>the 1885 Steinway A, and possibly the 1912 B ... (I might occasionaly be 
>cheap, but I ain't stupid. ;>)
>
>Finally, I have to express an overwhelming debt of gratitude to Tim 
>Geinert. Not just for the generousity of his time, and so capably sharing 
>a valuable skill, but for taking a disappointing piano within my care, and 
>transforming it to a musical level I had otherwise been unable to achieve.
>
>Thanks Tim!
>
>best regards,
>Mark Cramer,
>Brandon University
>
>PS One strange thing; you can actually "feel the resonance" through the 
>keys. All the pianists noticed this. It's not in the least bit 
>distracting, actually we tend to think it's kind of cool!
>
>
>
>
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