Impedance problem

[Ron Nossaman]

>Hello Ron and List
>There was a suggestion to follow the method employed in the manufacture of 
>the piano soundboard like that used in violins, 'cellos and contrabass. 
>Now we seem to be carrying this similarity a little further in the use of 
>a form of  a piano"sordino" - Davis Love's "vise grips". Taking the 
>analogy a further step many 'cellos  have a problem known as a "wolf" 
>note. My 'cello is not without this problem. To a degree the problem can 
>be minimised by use of a "wolf note suppressor". This suppressor is a 
>brass cylinder, with a tightening thumb screw, attached to the hitch-end 
>of the 'cello "C" string thus adding mass to that part. I am simply 
>wondering if this "wolf suppressor" might not be worth experimenting with, 
>given a piano such as David Love has access to.
>Regards from a dark Sussex Village
>Michael G (UK)


I routinely mass load soundboards to fine tune impedance, minimize unwanted 
resonances, and better blend aurally across breaks. It's no secret, no 
mystery, and can be done by anyone curious enough to try it and find out 
for themselves what does and doesn't work.

Ron N