<html> I have, on occasion, jammed a small piece of felt in between the bridge bevel and the bass string core to alleviate the harsh accompaniment. Jon Page At 06:50 PM 02/12/2000 -0900, you wrote: >Richard , >Stick to your guns ! >This brings up a question that has always been a gnawing in the recesses of >my mind. To make a remedy could one measure the strings to each side for >their inharmonisity then find out which string was the worst and change the >winding length to try to match the two strings. Or change one to match the >other? >One trick that you can use in a pinch is to place a rubber mute between the >worst string and its neighbor above or below the windings. This will >somewhat deaden that note but will also cut the mismatch of the upper >partials. >Joe Goss >----- Original Message ----- >From: Richard Brekne <richardb@c2i.net> >To: <pianotech@ptg.org> >Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2000 10:47 AM >Subject: A Case Study > > >> Yesterday I had an experience I just had to share with you all. We've >> been on about this buisness of when to say no several times lately and >> this relates to that. >> >> I was on my way home late afternoon when my mobil (cellular) rang. A >> local sound studio was to have a recording with one of the national TV >> stations later that evening and needed the piano tuned. >> >> Just a week earlier I had been in there with some players from the >> Conservatory and a visiting ragtime pianist from England. A nice brand >> new Yamaha U1 had been rented for the occasion and I tuned it for the >> session. I had suggested earlier on to the fellow responsible for >> arranging the session that he rent at least this much quality as I knew >> this particular studio had no piano of their own and usually had on loan >> some beater. >> >> Indeed this was the case last week, a 25 year old 110 Røsler (Czech, >> petrof variant). Beat to sh--, horrible bass, unbelievable wear on the >> Hammers.. etc. etc. ad absurdum. Now this sound studio has Mercedes >> solutions when it comes to almost everything, except the piano, and I >> have been on about this with them for over a year now, trying patiently >> to inform them that it was very bad tactics to keep using wrecks for >> pianos. >> >> Anyways, so I go in yesterday for this "very important" recording >> session, and sure enough they are going to use this Røsler. I just shook >> my head, tried once again to tell the guy how idiotic this was, but >> proceeded to tune the piano as best as was possible. I must say I did >> quite a fine job of it as well... as far as was possible in anycase. >> >> As I said... the bass on this piano was horrible... several bad string >> pars.. and in particular C2 which was so far out of wack that no matter >> what you did it sounded both horribly flat and horribly sharp at the >> same time. Lets put it this way... if you tuned C2-C3 as a 2:1 ,, the >> 4:2 was beating at around 6 bps. I kid you not. Lets not even think >> about the higher coincidents yet.  Tuning as a 4:2  was appropriate for >> keeping 3rds and 10ths in line with neighbors, but yeilded the most >> ridiculous blending of sounding both sharp and flat at the same time. >> Tuning to a higher coincedent just sounded awfully awfully flat.. and >> ruined the progression of 3rds and 10ths... Nothing to do... I ended up >> with something between a 4:2 and a 2:1 so that my 3rds and 10ths were >> acceptable, and the octave sounded least bad otherwise. >> >> After nearly two hours of trying to make this thing sound at least >> something like a piano, I finally called it a nite and after one more >> round of this time a bit more firm admonishing about the shamefullness >> of putting this thing in front of serious musicians, I went home. >> >> Two hours later this fellow has the gaul to call me (now nearly 8PM) and >> says the piano is out of tune in the bass and wants me to come back (for >> free cuz it was obviously my fault) to fix it. He went on to inform me >> that he noticed it right away after I had left and wanted to know if I >> thought the piano was in tune when I left. I replied with... >> >> "wait a second... you say you noticed this 2 hours ago, on the evening >> of a recording session, and you wait til now to call me ????? ".  I also >> informed him in no so uncertain terms that the piano was well tuned for >> what it was, and that it was high time he realized that as long as he >> insisted on using such garbage he should expect less then satisfactory >> sound, and that he needed to wake up and buy himself a decent instrument >> appropriate to his needs and stop calling piano techs at nite with >> accusations and tales of catastrophy.  In short... I simply refused to >> go back. >> >> A bit of background before you comment... I am one of 5 different tuners >> this guy has done basically the same with. I have talked with the others >> and they are of same mind, that they are sick and tired of this fellow, >> and wont have anything more to do with him. All have said to him for >> some time now, that he needs a decent piano for his kinda work and he >> always shines us on about it. And all of us have heard comments from him >> about the "poor quality of piano technicians" here in western Norway. >> Also one last thing.. this is the only complaint I personally have had >> in the last 5 years. >> >> So you tell me.... time to draw the line or what ?? >> >> -- >> Richard Brekne >> Associate PTG, N.P.T.F. >> Bergen, Norway >> >> >> >> > <div>Jon Page,   piano technician</div> <div>Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass.</div> <div><a href="mailto:jonpage@mediaone.net"= EUDORA=AUTOURL>mailto:jonpage@mediaone.net</a></div> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </html>