Yeah, but Del, you don't like to tune pianos, so this is probably a plus for you!...;-] David I. ----- Original message ----------------------------------------> From: Richard Brekne <richard.brekne@grieg.uib.no> To: PTG <pianotech@ptg.org> Received: Tue, 02 Jul 2002 20:51:17 +0200 Subject: Re: self tuning piano???? >Del... I think you might benifit from reading Vonneguts Player Piano....for >that matter Galapagos might be a good one for you too :) ..... Have a nice >convention did you ? >grin >Cheers >RicB > Delwin D Fandrich wrote: >>You're absolutely right, Wim. This thing can't possibly work. And while >>we're at it, let's trash a few other ideas that are so far out there that >>they also can't possibly work: the internal combustion engine comes to >>mind. >>All those moving -- metal sliding against metal, what a stupid idea -- >>parts >>and trying to vaporize liquid gasoline fast enough to burn with enough >>force >>to produce power...ridiculous. Not only is the basic idea unworkable, think >>what it will do to the economy. All the wagon makers, horse farms and >>stable >>workers will be out of jobs, not to mention the rig repairers and wagon >>technicians. Surely the world will be awash in unemployment if the big >>manufacturers go ahead with these foolish ideas. And I understand there are >>a couple of fool brothers somewhere who are even working on a way to get >>one >>of these engines to power some kind of mechanical contraption they call an >>aeroplane. This aeroplane thing -- as ungainly and as heavy as it is -- >>they >>hope to get off the ground and make fly through the air. Now everyone knows >>just how stupid that idea is. Why that thing is a whole lot heavier than >>air. >> >>Well, I'll not go on. It's clear that we must trash every new idea that >>comes along in this business. And the sooner the better. After all, the >>piano business is so robust and thriving just now it would be a terrible >>shame to do anything that might upset things. It would never do to take an >>idea with some obvious problems and develop it over time and actually make >>it work. Like the spelling checker, for example. Does anyone else remember >>how ungainly and awkward they were when they first became available? >>Impossible to use! Not to mention buggy, slow, inaccurate, incomplete -- >>really more trouble than they were worth. Besides, if one were ever made to >>work well, think what it would do to the editing industry. Now they are so >>simple and efficient they actually can be set up to run in the background >>and make even pathetic spellers like me look good. And editors -- at least >>the one to whom I'm married -- are busy correcting bad grammar, typos and >>awkward sentence structure. (No, she didn't edit this -- all of the >>grammatical, typos and structural errors are my own.) >> >>Have a nice, comfortable and non-challenging day one and all.... >> >>Del >> >>------------------------------------------------------ >> >> >>----- Original Message ----- >>From: <Wimblees@AOL.COM> >>To: <Pianotech@ptg.org> >>Sent: July 01, 2002 1:51 PM >>Subject: self tuning piano???? >> >> >>> In the July Journal is a hillarious article about the self tuning piano. >>I >>know this story has been on the list before, but I just want to be sure all >>of you read it, just for the fun of it. It is absolutley unreal to think >>that someone could actually justify the invention of this "tool". What is >>even more discouraging is that someone from the piano industry actually >>paid >>this guy to develop and install the system in a real piano. >>> >>> Here are a couple of misnomers which lead this guy to think the systme >>works. He thinks one of the reasons strings go out of tune is because >>tuning >>pins slip. To solve this problem, he actually has developed a "string >>lock", >>to permantly clamp the strings in place, making tuning pins superflous. >>Tuning pins and strings do not move. (unles the pin block is bad). >>> >>> Another problem with the system is that the piano will be re-tuned >>repeatedly to a tuning set at the factory. This tuning will be done by a >>"Story & Clark Master Technician". Oh, I know the kind. The one in the >>booth >>at the end of the production line, competing with the noise of the >>stringing >>department. I am sure that will be a great tuning. For comparison, it took >>4 >>CTE level tuner 5 hours to tune a piano at the convention. Do you think >>there might be a differnce between the two tunings? I wonder if the piano >>can be reprogrammed? Will Ed be able to do his thing on it? >>> >>> Mr. Gilmore's experiment "have shown that varying the pitch of a string >>50 >>cents requires, on the average, about one watt per string". Oh that's >>great. >>A pitch raise of 50 cents, with all the strings being tuned at the same >>time. I wonder what the effect on the soundboard will be? Do you think it >>will stay in tune? >>> >>> Mr. Gilmore, if you're lurking, please just concentrate on your job as a >>engineer, and leave pianos to people who have expericen tuning and >>repairing >>them. I'm sorry you spent so much time and engergy, not to mention money, >>on >>a system that is a failure. You might be able to sell a few of these things >>to unsuspecting customers, but you have done the tuning industry, not to >>mention the whole piano industry, a great diservice inventing a usuless >>electronic device. You should be ashamed of yourself for even attempting to >>justify your invention. >>> >>> Wim Blees RPT >>> Tuscaloosa, AL >Richard Brekne >RPT NPTF >Griegakadamiet UiB
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