Re: Contemporary grande

John wrote:

> ><http://www.lgu.ac.uk/mit/cnmi/>
>
> Just went there; neat site!! Are you affiliated with them? You seem
> to know a lot about this subject.

I'm a little surprised you didn't know about this!

Well, they're in London and I'm in New England (NH poseur) which sort of
limits the extent of my affiliation - travel being but one of the
obstacles although I hope to get there soon. My involvement with new
pianos has been only through reading and with my own instruments, to
date of questionable conception (otherwise I work on old pianos). I
think as these threads suggest it's not an immediate thing to make a
good - no, I guess flawless design for a new piano, as it should be
whether fixed or adaptive. If I'm able, I plan to visit Patrick and
Lewis at CNMI in late February also when I'll get some measurements from
the unusual little antique grand piano I mentioned. I figure it's a
great starting point, since I won't need a plate cast, also I've spent
the past year planning hopefully so I'll avoid some of the problems I've
run into with past projects.

<http://www.library.rncm.ac.uk/hwm12.htm#K 16>
Robert Wornum "Pocket Grand Pianoforte", 1836. This has a fixed tuning,
six octaves of twelve keys each where the stringing scale is designed
for equal tension, strongly implying 12tET. A bunch of clues, including
a larger version (expanded compass!) suggest the whole design is
generated from few parameters, yet what really distinguishes it from
other wood framed grands is that it's built like an upright - backposts
run uninterrupted the full length of the strings making a much stronger
structure; to achieve this, it's kind of upside down with the strung
portion hinged to a base/action bed along the spine. It's very pretty,
besides.

Unfortunately, my friend Sy who would have helped greatly with Ed's
muscle car unit of pedal steel research, died a couple days ago.

Clark

[I wrote:]
>>><http://www.lgu.ac.uk/mit/cnmi/>
>>
>>Just went there; neat site!! Are you affiliated with them? You seem
>>to know a lot about this subject.

[Clark wrote:]
>I'm a little surprised you didn't know about this!

Alas, I'm afraid that my ignorance is extensive. I worked in complete
isolation for years, and have missed much. Still trying to play
catch-up! Thanks again for the info. Sorry about your friend Sy...

JdL