Ric, Jim & all, No, my post was not directed at anyone, just the penchant we humans (& piano tuning ones in particular) seem to have for jumping all over ideas which go against our pre-conceived notions -- often without giving it much thought. Good research is always welcome, and more power to those who have the knowledge and drive to undertake it. Jim, as I said, the comment was not directed at anyone, let alone you, so I am doubly sorry for your resentment. Keep up the valuable research! ----- Original Message ----- From: "RicB" <ricb at pianostemmer.no> To: <caut at ptg.org> Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 10:49 AM Subject: [CAUT] WAPIN Installation > Friends: > > Please, lets not stretch out our spine-pins and jump into respective > corners waiting for the bell to ring. Jim, I agree that some very good > questions have been put forward and deserve a good answer. I am sure > given the spirit of you last sentence that you will agree that the > absence of any studies shows nothing in itself. As far as Ottos post is > concerned. I did not see that it was directed at anyone in particular. > Perhaps there are things hidden from me, but I cant see how these > remarks, nor those of Michaels could be directed at you. On the other > hand... there has been and no doubt will continue to be commentary from > some that *are* deserving of such reaction. Indeed, and quite so. > > I agree there is much about Wapin that seems interesting and needs > closer scientific scrutiny. I also have had first hand experience and > was left with the impression that there was a clear difference in sound > character, tho I'll be the first to admit my impressions thus are far > from conclusive evidence. From a speculative standpoint... it would > seem to me that altering the semi-clamp that the bridge pin / bridge > surface combine to enforce upon the string such that it becomes > significantly less clamp-like would very likely cause some change in how > the system performs... ultimately affecting the overall sound. I would > think the added mass of the extra pins to be less significant... after > all... we are only talking around 50 grams for the whole piano... less > the removed mass of the wood drilled out to make room for them. But... > this is all speculation based on a few bits I think I know about > things. Nice for discussion... perhaps good to put down on paper before > planning any real science.... but otherwise quite useless. Certainly... > none of our speculations are worth arguing about. And certainly... none > of the attempts at any real science are worth simply discarding without > further ado. > > Cheers > RicB > > > COMMENT: Then I examined the 1929 Wapinized D in Cincinnati and > compared > it with the 1984 a few years ago, I did like the 1929 better. The > sustaining quality in the upper octaves did sound better to me, and > I said > so to Michael Wathen at the time. However, I could not determine if the > difference were because of the WAPIN, of simply a result of the total > rebuilding the piano had been given. I did not notice the peculiar > characteristic in note D3 that shows up in the web site spectrums. > > COMMENT: The questions that some of us have recently reased have > been good > questions, neither for nor against the WAPIN, but merely asking for more > scientifically acceptable data than those that have been presented. > I just > read Otto Keyes November 5 post. His reference to posts such as mine as > "authority of ignorance" and "pigeon pooh" is off limits, does not > belong > on this list, and I resent it. > > COMMENT: Michael Wathen's disparaging remarks about the piano > industry are > not very well received either, nor was I talking about subjective > opinions. > I was talking about data that are supposed to show that the Wapin > either > does or does not make a difference - data that in my opinion, show > neither, > and leave the question wide open. > > Sincerely, Jim Ellis > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.13.29/520 - Release Date: 11/6/2006 > >
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