It is my understanding that a piano projects better when there is NOT solid contact with the floor, in a manner of speaking. One of the more dramatic demonstrations I have seen was at convention some years back, at Wally Brooks' all-day class. Near the end of the day, after showing his voicing techniques, he had the piano sounding nice. Then he put it on caster cups, and it sounded great. His explanation: we all know that the entire piano resonates, not just the soundboard. The carpet in the hotel classroom "damped" the leg, preventing it from vibrating freely. The caster cup, being a hard surface, let the caster roll a bit, and thus let the leg, and I suppose the case as well a little bit, vibrate more freely. That is the real reason for casters - not for moving the piano, but to "uncouple" it from the floor and let the whole thing resonate. The reason, then, that a spider compromises the sound isn't that the leg is off the floor, but that the leg is stuck in the spider leg plate and can't move. I don't know of any research directed at this issue, but it makes sense to me. For what it's worth, Ken Z. On 5/9/06 11:44 AM, "Alan McCoy" <amccoy at mail.ewu.edu> wrote: > Is there a consensus out there that concert instruments project better with > a solid contact to the floor as contrasted with a piano on a dolly (rubber > wheels)? If so, what technique do you use to deal with it? I have several > venues with pianos on dollies. If I can get better tone out of my pianos > simply by making a more solid contact, I'll go home and make some wedges or > whatever tonight! Pronto, rapidisimo, asap....... Pictures are always nice, > if you have the time. > > Thanks. > > Alan > > >> From: Jon Page <jonpage at comcast.net> >> Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" <caut at ptg.org> >> Date: Tue, 09 May 2006 07:09:57 -0400 >> To: <caut at ptg.org> >> Subject: [CAUT] Hamburg leg bolt >> >> If students are to be moving this piano often, I'd worry more about >> personal injury than tone. >> >> Definitely get a piano truck!!! If you want a solid contact to the >> floor for performance then >> make up some hardwood wedges to block under the legs. >> >> As a side note, when it comes time to remove or install a piano on a truck, >> I have two small wedges (I call them 'Truck Stops') to place under the front >> legs so the back arm does not flip upwards. To remove a truck, place both >> Stops under the front legs and remove the rear leg from the truck. >> When installing, >> place a Stop under each front leg as it is positioned then simply >> swing the rear >> arm under the rear leg. >> -- >> >> Regards, >> >> Jon Page > > -- Ken Zahringer, RPT Piano Technician MU School of Music 297 Fine Arts 882-1202 cell 489-7529
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