[pianotech] YC Capo Bars

[Roger Gable]

Ron,
Much of what I've presented toward this conversation is theoretical. But I 
beg to differ with you about the lack of evidence to support the difference 
in energy transfer through the different glued mediums. There is a 
difference, but whether it plays a role in the sound of a piano could be 
debated to ad nauseam. Take a piece of pinblock stock about 12" in length, 
cut absolutely square in the other directions and then hit it with a hammer 
along the edge of the glue lines and then on the flat laminate. There is a 
difference is pitch. The laminate side produces a lower tone with the edge 
glued side a higher tone.
Roger Gable
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Nossaman" <rnossaman at cox.net>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 10:43 AM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] YC Capo Bars


> On 9/21/2010 5:10 AM, William Truitt wrote:
>> I have heard the glue line argument from others against the use of
>> horizontally laminated bridge caps because of the barrier of the glue 
>> line.
>> I'm not equipped with the knowledge or scientific tools to advance the
>> argument on either side.  But I would follow up what Del said where in
>> testing they couldn't hear the difference between the three kinds of caps 
>> by
>> saying that - if the glue lines do indeed interrupt or distort the 
>> movement
>> of the vibratory energy, such changes to the patterns of movement are
>> insignificantly small at best and inaudible (if we are to believe Del and
>> Baldwin's testing).
>
> Despite all the strident noise made about glue lines blocking some 
> mysterious energy vibrations in bridges, no one with the measuring tools 
> that have become available in the last 200 years has found this to be the 
> case and published their results. At least that I know of. It remains one 
> of the many near universal faith based "facts" that "everyone knows", and 
> will remain so in spite of what Baldwin's R&D department or anyone else 
> has found. It's just intuitive and obvious, right?
>
> Thomas Kuhn once noted that people tend to not be convinced by evidence. 
> Instead, outmoded ways of thinking die with those who hold them. That's 
> not entirely true, unfortunately. Outmoded ways of thinking are passed 
> down from generation to generation in the avoidance of understanding and 
> the comfort of belief. It's always baffled me that so much energy is spent 
> in defending these things.
>
> Ron N
>