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<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#008080 size=2>According to a handout from Dr. Albert
Sanderson, the ranges for "very low" to "very high" tension scales
are:</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#008080 size=2>Monochords: 200 to 290
pounds</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#008080 size=2>Bichords: 160 to 235
pounds</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#008080 size=2>Trichords: 140 to 200
pounds</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#008080 size=2></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#008080 size=2>He also provides a graph of low-to-high
inharmonicity, but this is more difficult to describe. For High, the graph of
inharmonicity constant B, in cents, goes from 0.24 at note 1, down to a low of
0.13 at note 18, and then rises steadily to 21.0 at note
88.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#008080 size=2>For Low, these three points are 0.21 at
note 1, 0.1 at note 21, and 10.2 at note 88.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#008080 size=2></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#008080 size=2>Jason</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #008080 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=ahm@webband.com href="mailto:ahm@webband.com">Alan McCoy</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> Wednesday, October 18, 2006 10:46
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> High tension? Low? Board
stiffness? was Hammer Types</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left>
<P>Hi,</P>
<P>In the recent hammer types thread David Love and others talked about
high-tension and low-tension scales. Quantitatively what does that mean? I'd
like to see some actual, real-world parameters as to the upper and lower
limits <SPAN class=296414205-19102006>of</SPAN> tension for high-tension
and low-tension scales. Would these parameters change correspondingly as the
size of the piano changes? </P>
<P>Ditto for inharmonicity. </P>
<P>I don't ask for much, do I?! ;-)</P>
<P>While we're at it, can soundboard stiffness be evaluated (at least
qualitatively) on your basic fully-strung piano in someone's living room? What
are the major factors that define stiffness? Does downbearing play a role
here? I'm looking for an answer that has specific, measurable quantities like,
"A stiff system has ribs spaced x inches apart with each rib notched into the
rim. Ribs are x inches in profile under the long bridge tapering to x inches
then tapering to x inches at the rim. A stiff board is x inches thick under
the long bridge tapering to ......, whereas a flexible system
..................." And also, "X piano brand is a good example of a stiff
system, whereas x pianos use a more flexible system..........." You get the
idea.</P>
<P>The other thing in this thread that got my attention was the description of
the hammer types matched to the Walter scale. I installed a set of Ronsen
Wurzen hammers on a Baldwin L last year. I would characterize the sound as
being darker and colorful, and maybe needing a little juice especially in the
top 2 octaves for a bit more definition. Needling was not even a consideration
for these hammers on this piano . But David's description of the Wurzens on
the Walter paints a very different picture of Ronsen Wurzens. So what gives?
Is there a lot of difference in Wurzens from set to set? Or is it that if we
were to put the same Wurzens on the Baldwin L and then the Walter, we would
have "dark" hammers on one, but "bright" hammers on the other, the explanation
being that the tone produced is a function of the interaction of the hammer
with the board system? Is it possible for their to be enough difference in the
board system to produce such different tone (needling like hell vs. maybe
needing a bit of juice) from the same type of hammer (assuming the hammers are
identical)?</P>
<P>Trying to educate myself. Thanks for any responses<SPAN
class=296414205-19102006> and thanks also to David for initiating this
interesting thread.</SPAN></P>
<P>Alan</P>
<P><FONT face=Garamond color=#800000></FONT> </P></DIV><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> David Love
[mailto:davidlovepianos@comcast.net] <BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, October 11,
2006 10:55 PM<BR><B>To:</B> 'Pianotech List'<BR><B>Subject:</B> Changing the
tone on tone: was RE: Hammer Types<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">“They don’t make
pianofortes anymore, they just make fortes”</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Paraphrased remark
attributed to Dale Erwin’s father that has always stuck with
me.</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Cellist to
Pianist: “Can’t you play any softer”</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Pianist:
“Well, actually…no, I can’t”</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Conversation
overheard at a rehearsal of the Brahms B Major Trio:</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Tone is everything
in piano work, in my view. The rest is secondary, or simply
mechanical. There’s no precise language for it like Alizarin Crimson
or burnt garlic, and so it’s difficult to talk about with any assurance that
your experience is the same as mine. We can only assume that the words
we choose describe the sound that I think you might be hearing—if you
are. In spite of how my views have been misrepresented, I am really
quite open about tone. There are a broad range of possibilities and a
variety of tastes to go with them. I have customers who love their
Yamahas, the bright and powerfully percussive tone they offer and those who
wouldn’t be caught dead playing one for the same reasons. I have
Steinway customers who long for that dark, warm, singing tone that they
recall from their childhood and others whose Steinways simply can’t be made
bright enough or loud enough. When it comes to addressing the needs of
a particular piano or customer preferences, we need to be open to what the
piano can deliver and what the customer wants. And I am.
“Whatever you want” is my mantra when it comes to customer work, even if I
wouldn’t choose it myself. When rebuilding a piano with original
materials I always engage customers in a discussion about tone, what they
like, or don’t like, how I can make the piano to best suit their
tastes. If they want something that will be difficult to achieve with
a given piano, I tell them. I might even go so far as to say that if
that’s what they want, they own the wrong piano. It can happen.
Each piano’s design pushes its tonal signature in one direction or the
other. Scale design, soundboard design and health, rim structure,
plate design, all contribute to the direction in which the piano can
comfortably be pushed. Try to make it into something it’s not and you
end up with a mediocre result at best (a structural disaster at
worst). Will the customer be happy anyway? They
might. It’s likely that whatever you do to a piano that is on
the brink of disintegration will be an improvement. Sometimes we have
to be content to do that—and certainly I have.
</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">When working with
old and tired soundboards, we must (in today’s parlance) accept them for
what they are. Trying to get them to perform as if they were new and
expecting the same type of tone generally leads to a disappointing
result. Accepting the structural and thereby tonal changes that occur
with old boards allows us, if we listen carefully, to perhaps modify our
scale design, pick a more suitable hammer now than the original and/or
modify our voicing strategy to make the best of what the board still has to
offer. That can lead to a very acceptable, even beautiful
result. But it will be different from the original no matter what we
do and the sooner we accept that, the better off we are. We can try
and force our own tastes onto the piano but, if we are honest, only in so
far as the piano’s design or condition allows. </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">When it comes to
building a piano from the ground up, however, or reengineering a scale and
soundboard, then we are absolved of all previous commitments and we have
real choices that we can make (existing plate considerations
notwithstanding). High, medium or low tension scales are where things
start. From the low tension scales of </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial
color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Estonia</SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> to the high
tension scales characterized by many Japanese pianos, each one will have
their own soundboard requirements, hammer requirements and accompanying
tonal character. I happen to like low tension sound (but not too low)
better than high tension sound, so left to my own devices I would chose a
platform that supports that preference. If tonal expectations of a
customer were better associated with a high tension scale, however, then,
given the means, I would be fine to build that as well. Either way, I
would expect that design differences would produce differences in tonal
character (let’s put the wart issue aside for now) and that accompanying
hammer requirements as well as voicing requirements would also be
different. </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">In summary, each
scale and soundboard assembly pushes the instrument in a particular
direction. While there is always a range of possibilities within any
particular design, each design does carry its own tonal bias. As piano
technicians, trying to bring out the best in each piano we come across, we
hear those differences intuitively. We adjust our expectations
according to each instrument and each instrument becomes our temporary
standard for the possibilities of good tone. If we find something that
appeals to us we tend to latch onto it and carry it around as our
model. But that can hurt as well as help us. It helps us by
giving us a higher standard for each piano we encounter. It hurts us
in that the expectations we carry forward are not always realistic—or
desirable—for the next instrument and we can end up trying to force the
piano toward our ideal with a poorer result than if we’d been open to what
the piano really had to offer in the first place. Power,
brightness, sustain, clarity, warmth, richness, dynamic range: in a piano we
don’t get to simply opt for the maximum amount of each. They all exist
in a multi-dimensional continuum in which you sometimes trade one for
another in a never ending balancing act achieved both by design and
execution. There are, no doubt, many acceptable formulas within that
continuum dictated by a variety of factors, not the least of which is just
exactly what music is being played. We should probably accept that in
so far as there are a variety of tonal formulas as well as musical
requirements, no single piano (or treatment) will be perfect for all types
of music, players, audiences or technicians. So when given the
opportunity, why not be faithful to ourselves? Vive la difference!
</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<DIV>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy">David
Love<BR>davidlovepianos@comcast.net<BR>www.davidlovepianos.com</SPAN></FONT><FONT
color=navy><SPAN style="COLOR: navy"> </SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>