String Scaling

[Ron Nossaman]

Hi Michael,

I'm interested. Please send me a copy.

Thanks, Ron



At 09:08 PM 7/29/97 -0100, you wrote:
>I will register my voice in favor of re scaling pianos, Steinways included.
>The only pianos I don't feel that are worth re scaling are the Baldwin
>grands designed by Conklin, but that is just a hunch. I have never really
>checked it out mathematically. 
>
>There are hugh benefits to rescaling in the non bass sections as well.  The
>most notable is the result you get when there is even tension through out
>the treble.  Most scales have jumps that are really noticeable when the wire
>diameter changes.  This  non-uniform distribution would probably cause
>unpredictable nodes and boundaries on the vibrating board.  
>
>The modes of vibration on any given board are hardly understood. Having
>non-uniform tension is just one element that can be controlled through
>proper rescaling.
>
>I once wrote a program in Qbasic to calculate a best treble scale that used
>a step function with the string gauge as the variable.  It consisted of a
>only a few executing program lines. It tried each gauge of wire starting
>with the smallest and it calculated a value for tension for that gauge.
>Next, the program asked if this value was within, say, 5 lbs. of 160 lbs. if
>not it calculated a new value for tension using the next gauge size up.
>When the right gauge was supplied then it was selected and stored in an
>array for that note number.  This first gauge value that supplied the
>correct tension was also the best choice for "inharmonicity".  In short, the
>whole program went for the constant tension while inharmonicity was the
>second priority. 
>
>I still have the program somewhere if anyone is interested I can email it as
>an attachment.  
>,.,.,,,.,,,,,,.,.,,,.,,,,,,,.,,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,,
>,,,.,.,.,.,
>
>
> 
> Michael J. Wathen, RPT			Phone:	513-556-9565
> Piano Technician			Fax:	513-556-3399
> College-Consevatory of Music		Email:  Michael.Wathen@UC.Edu	
> University of Cincinnati
> Cincinnati, OH 45221-0096
> 
>http://www.uc.edu/~wathenmj/
>


 Ron Nossaman