<!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 5.50.4134.600" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080>Well, I don't think it is being presented as =
<EM>fait
accompli</EM> just yet. Certainly there are obstacles to overcome, the =
most
formidable of which probably haven't even been thought of yet. But then, =
when I
started driving it was necessary to change spark plugs and do a complete =
engine
tune-up every 10,000 or 20,000 miles. The Honda dealer doesn't want to =
see the
engine of my wife's new CRV for 110,000 miles. Even the oil changes =
don't come
up but every 10,000 miles. Many of the technologies we now accept as =
standard
took some considerable amount of time and effort to develop and bring to =
a level
of 'perfection' that makes them usable to the masses. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080>And, yes, it will help to get a few piano =
technicians
and/or rebuilders involved in the thing before too long. I'm reminded of =
another
promising development that fell by the wayside because knowledgeable =
piano
people weren't involved in its development early enough: the Currier =
composite
panel plate piano. The thing presented to the public as a finished =
product was
untunable! But it could have been. And had it's development been =
accompanied by
some solid input from the piano technical community working with Kaman's =
aerospace engineers I've no doubt it would today be in common use. =
There
were no major technological hurdles that could not have been overcome. =
The
instruments presented to the public were so poorly developed and =
executed,
however, the entire concept -- rather than its rather pathetic =
implementation --
was condemned beyond salvage.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080>As may be, whether or not this particular =
self-tuning
technology goes on to become standard equipment on today's piano -- and =
I rather
doubt that it will, at least not in the near-term -- it does focus
attention on one aspect of the piano that most of the industry would =
(and does)
rather like to ignore: tuning stability and the need to periodically =
retune the
piano. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080>In my opinion if the average piano would hold =
a
musically acceptable tuning for a even couple of years -- and this is a =
goal
readily attainable using today's technology -- there would be virtually =
no
interest in developing a self-tuning device. As it is these devices will =
keep
coming along and they will be developed and tweaked and one day either =
this or
another idea not yet thought of will be made to work. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080>Whether we like it or not.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080>Del</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000080 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=Wimblees@AOL.COM =
href="mailto:Wimblees@AOL.COM">Wimblees@AOL.COM</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> July 02, 2002 10:07 =
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: self tuning =
piano????</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=2>In a =
message dated
7/2/02 10:25:32 AM Central Daylight Time, <A
href="mailto:pianobuilders@olynet.com">pianobuilders@olynet.com</A> =
writes:
<BR><BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px =
solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"
TYPE="CITE">Well, I'll not go on. It's clear that we must trash =
every new
idea that <BR>comes along in this business. </BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Del =
<BR><BR>You make some very good points. I will agree that somewhere =
down the
road this might be a very good workable contraption, which might =
revolutionize
the music world. Cars and planes were invented, and it developed whole =
new
industries. But you just don't walk into a hanger and get in a plane. =
You
can't even drive a car without a license. Yes, almost every one knows =
how to
drive, but you have to have some degree of training. But what this =
contraption
is attempting to do, at this point, is like asking the run of the mill =
customer to buy a car with a special contraption that automatically =
changes
the oil, adjust the timing, and even clean the spark plugs. If you =
asked a
mechanic about something like that, they would have the same reaction =
I have.
It isn't that the invention is useless. I list don't think it is =
something
that should be sold "over the counter." <BR><BR>Wim
</FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>