WAPIN

[Christopher D. Purdy]

Hi Sandy

I figured it was only a matter of time before you got drug into this.

By the way, that "nasty little piano" that was at the convention is now
owned by a customer of mine in Marietta, OH.  I did not attend that
convention either but after working with this piano I am very impressed.
Michael made this stupid little Everette sound like a Steinway.  I am
interested in hearing how it makes
good piano sound.


>   Dear List,
>I was fortunate to work with Michael Wathen at the Cincinnati Conservatory
>for a couple of years when wapin was just an idea. Michael allowed me to
>help him build the first several prototypes where he got an excellent
>response from faculty & students. One piano professor was so thrilled with
>the first completed piano that he practically begged to have it (Baldwin M)
>in exchange for his Baldwin 7-foot.                       My next job took
>me to the Eastman School of Music; Michael had high hopes that I could
>convince my new boss to try wapin. He sent me a kit to change one note on a
>piano with instructions titled "For those who don't believe"! I put it on
>one note of a Steinway S that was ready for the gas chamber. To me, it stood
>out like a shining star; my colleauge thought it was incredible; my boss
>couldn't hear any difference.
>In my opinion, good hammers, new strings, new bridge cap, etc., only make
>wapin better. It is not a piano brightener. The attack is different, the
>sustain is longer and the presence/absence of certain harmonics is
>different. I am not a scientist and have no idea why; Michael explained it
>all to me and it made sense at the time.
>As far as the piano that was displayed at the convention, I wasn't there,
>didn't see it, heard horror stories. Maybe the thought behind displaying a
>nasty little piano was to show how much improvement wapin could make.
>Compared to the other wonderful rebuilds around it the idea backfired! Piano
>technicians are not Harvard Marketing MBA's.
>Great results from wapin can be seen (and heard) and comparisons can be
>made. I would sincerely recommend anyone interested to check out the website
>or e-mail them for info.  Sandy West RPT  Atlanta


-Christopher D. Purdy R.P.T.   School of Music  Ohio University  Athens OH

-purdy@oak.cats.ohiou.edu   (740) 593-1656    fax# (740) 593-1429