<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:v = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1 = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <TITLE>Message</TITLE> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=GENERATOR><o:SmartTagType name="country-region" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagT= ype><o:SmartTagType name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagT= ype> <STYLE>@font-face { font-family: Tahoma; } @page Section1 {size: 595.3pt 841.9pt; margin: 72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt = 90.0pt; } P.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } LI.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } DIV.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } A:link { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlink { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } A:visited { COLOR: #606420; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { COLOR: #606420; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.EmailStyle17 { COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-style-type: personal-reply } DIV.Section1 { page: Section1 } </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-GB id=role_body bottomMargin=7 vLink=#606420 = link=blue leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7> <DIV><SPAN class=215032812-06102005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2>Michael,</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=215032812-06102005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=215032812-06102005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2>If G#=440, I would think the piano would be 1/2 a step SHARP, not flat. = Now if A#=440, then it would be flat.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=215032812-06102005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=215032812-06102005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2>Marcel Carey,</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=215032812-06102005><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2>Sherbrooke, QC</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=fr dir=ltr = align=left><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>-----Message d'origine-----<BR><B>De :</B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B>De la = part de</B> Michael Gamble<BR><B>Envoyé :</B> 6 octobre 2005 08:19<BR><B>À :</B> Byeway222@aol.com; pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B>Objet :</B> RE: Odd dimensions of sharps.<BR><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=Section1> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Yes, = Richard, I agree with the sharp business. There are many pianos I simply cannot get my = fingers in between them! Height also plays a major role in this. As for those = older pianos, the Brinsmeads in particular I find extremely good tonally. = Even very old uprights with the una-corda (L) pedal. The strings are remarkable = too – notice the coppery finish on the lower steel strings – not the = covered ones – I have found they respond very well indeed to pitch raising – = even from G#=440 !<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial">Regards<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Michael G.(UK)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" = align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN lang=EN-US = style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2> </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN = lang=EN-US style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: = Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN lang=EN-US style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> Byeway222@aol.com [mailto:Byeway222@aol.com] <BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> 06 October 2005 = 00:00<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> = pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: Odd dimensions of sharps.</SPAN></FONT><SPAN lang=EN-US><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Hi Michael = and List,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I had = forgotten about those round fronted sharps on Collards  (I think Brinsmead = did them as well).  It's amazing that they went to all the trouble of = cutting the ivory to accommodate them, in fact, tonally most of those pianos were = not worth all the trouble and decent materials which often went into them.  They all sounded as though they had been strung with loose = knicker elastic.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">However, = the subject of sharps and their size and shape has always interested me as a = pianist as well as a technician.  I have always been conscious of sharps = being comfortable or uncomfortable and I think that pianists often do = not realise that one of the many reasons they don't like the 'feel' = of a piano is, in fact the sharps.  I have a very good and immediate comparison in a college here, where I have a Steinway B = and a Yamaha S6 in the same room.  All the upper end of the market = Yamahas have rather 'chunky' sharps with quite an exaggerated front = bevel. I believe that they are made from some sort of composite material which resembles wood. The Steinway still has much neater and thinner = sharps which I have now found, from questioning pianists, they = prefer.  Oddly, the smaller and cheaper Yamahas have plastic sharps with much = neater ( and in my opinion) more comfortable dimensions.  Over the = years, my recollections of  different keyboards often takes me back to a = really super Knabe grand.  There are very few in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place = w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>, but this was a stunning piano musically, but it had the most incredibly 'short' = sharps I have ever come accross. You felt as though you were going to collide = with the nameboard at any minute.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">It would = be interesting to hear other opinions on this whole business of keyboards = and their 'feel' as a result of materials and their size and = shaping.  Just as the recently discussed Wurzen front punchings appear to = be part of a general building up of agreeable feel and tone, so, I feel this = business of keyboard materials, design and finish are also a very = important part of the picture.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=black size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY= ></HTML>