<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.5296.0" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"
bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3>I would say that 'tinny' is used, because that is a
word the customer understands. It probably came into 'our' usage from a customer
trying to explain a sound impression, to her tuner.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3>I find nothing wrong with using the
term.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV>John M. Ross<BR>Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada.<BR><A
href="mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca">jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca</A></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=dnereson@4dv.net href="mailto:dnereson@4dv.net">David Nereson</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, June 15, 2006 3:56
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> re: "tinny"</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3><SPAN class=769383806-15062006> People use
the word "tinny" a lot to refer to any undesirable sound in a piano or in
other instruments. I don't know why they pick this word -- I guess
because they don't know what other word to use and they have heard other
people use it, so they figure it's "correct" for describing any undesirable
sound in a piano. But it almost never applies.
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3><SPAN class=769383806-15062006> What
instruments commonly used today are made of tin? I've heard of a "tin
horn" but have never seen one. Tin drums existed at one time --
probably as toys for kids. And I suppose certain types of whistles may
have been made of tin once. But whistles, drums, and horns sound nothing
like each other, and none of them sound like even the worst piano tone.
And "tin" cans and pans are no longer really tin -- they're some
steel alloy, I believe. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3><SPAN
class=769383806-15062006> Someone on the list was
describing tuning unisons and pulling one string above the desired pitch, at
which point it sounded "tinny," then backing it down to settle it on
pitch. So is a "tinny" sound one that has fast beats? Do
instruments made of tin make fast beats? Is "tinny" synonymous with
out-of-tune?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3><SPAN class=769383806-15062006> I
suppose people really mean to describe a sound as "non-resonant,"
"not rich," "thin," perhaps "brassy," or
"metallic." </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3><SPAN class=769383806-15062006> I
don't know why it grates on me so, but I wish people, especially technicians,
would not just use a term like "tinny" automatically in describing, in
this case, a unison that's not beatless. To me, the habit falls in
the same category as calling the hammers the "pads," and the plate the
"harp."</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3><SPAN class=769383806-15062006></SPAN></FONT><FONT
size=3><SPAN
class=769383806-15062006> --David
Nereson, RPT </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>