Ken, In the dim past I remember that demo too now that you mention it. But I took it to mean that by getting the piano off the soft mushy carpet and onto a harder surface like a caster cup, the sound is reflected back instead of being absorbed by the carpet. I think it is time to experiment some. Alan > From: Ken Zahringer <ZahringerK at missouri.edu> > Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" <caut at ptg.org> > Date: Tue, 09 May 2006 12:13:24 -0500 > To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" <caut at ptg.org> > Conversation: [CAUT] Dollies and projection (was Hamburg leg bolt) > Subject: Re: [CAUT] Dollies and projection (was Hamburg leg bolt) > > 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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