Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
NOVEMBER 6,
THE
1920
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
OurTECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
CONDUCTED BY WILLIAM BRAID WHITE
STRIK1NG=POINT AND TONE
Some Comment on Brother Miller's Late Re-
marks—What Dr. Dayton Miller Thinks
A short time ago Brother J. C. Miller asked
a pertinent question as to the generally accepted
theory of piano tone production. It is generally
held that when a hammer strikes a string on a
node the partial tones originating at that node
are blotted out. Brother Miller holds that this
may be true, at the moment of contact, but that
the supposedly obliterated partials do immedi-
ately thereafter reappear. If this be so, it is
plain that the whole idea of scaling hammer
striking points should be re-studied.
In discussing this matter recently with me,
Doctor Dayton Miller, of Cleveland, O., who is,
without doubt, the foremost acoustician of this
country, made the following comment:
"The statement which is so often made, that
having the hammer strike the string at, say,
one-ninth of its length from the end will pre-
vent the formation of the ninth partial tone, is, 1
think, not quite justified. I am of the opinion
that these particular tones are always more or
less present. If the piano hammer were to strike
the string at a definite point and with a very,
hard surface, perhaps these particular frequencies
would not be formed. The entire series of par-
tials from one up to a very high order, per-
haps ten, twenty, thirty or more, are always
present. However, the particular ones related to
R.EMUVER.
Try
It At Our
Expense
Ask us to send on ap-
proval a dozen Magic
Scratch Removers by pre-
paid Parcel Post. When you
find scratches on your pianos,
talking machines, etc., touch
them with the neutral stain and
the Magic Oiled brush and sell
your instrument. After 10 days'
trial, send us $5.00 or return the
Magic Scratch Removers.
Campbell's Quick Refinishing
Outfit on Free Trial
Permanent repairs easily made at a big saving
in expense. It contains Amber Glaze to remove
packing marks. Ethereal Varnish for rubbed thru
places and Stick Shellac for deep holes. Order an
outfit. Try it 10 days. Then send us $10, or return
the unused portion of the outfit.
Phonograph Dealers supplied through the
Dealer'a Service Dept. of Columbia Grapho-
phone Co.
•The ML- CAMPBELL-COMPANY-
there is a weak glue-joint or seam, it opens at
the back or rib-side of the board. This hap-
pens because of the backward pressure of the
strings. The theory applies to cracks at the
back of the sound board which do not show
on the front of the board.
When there is a clean split which shows
through the thickness of the sound board, I
apply the theory of imperfect glue, coupled with
shrinkage of the wood from which the maxi-
mum of moisture has not been extracted by the
SHARPS, BOARDS AND PITCH
kiln-drying process.
Brother Smith Has Views, and Gives Them Most
Refinishing Sharps
Interestingly and Logically
Now, in connection with the recent inquiry of
Mr. Donovan concerning the refinishing of
Dear Mr. White: As a recent subscriber to sharps.
The Review, particularly interested in the tech-
My method is to take a very sharp block
nical department, I should like to submit ideas plane and dress the old finish from the top of
on one or two of the subjects you have recently the sharp and also shape up the sharp itself,
been discussing.
then use a black alcohol stain, adding sufficient
In the issue of October 2nd the question is shellac to it to hold the stain after applying,
asked, "What causes the splitting of sound- giving two or three coats. I then finish with
boards?"
French varnish, to which has been added enough
My experience of six years has taught me that of the black stain to color the varnish.
I must think for myself, for I have asked ques-
Sub-pitch Pianos
tions without number from more experienced
I should also like to say a word about tuning
men, without reasonable results. Now, we all pianos which are below pitch. I think that
know that soundboards are made of spruce, the tuner who attempts to tune to international
which is more or less resinous, according to its pitch a piano which has been neglected and
quality. Splits, I find, usually run along a allowed to drop a half, three-fourths or a whole
seam, that is where two pieces of the wood are tone, at one operation, is doing an injustice both
glued together. Glue does not seem to hold in a to himself and to his customer, for the piano
highly resinous wood so well as in other cases, does not "stick" and is very soon out of tune
no doubt because the wood fibers do not absorb again and the patron is likely to be dissatisfied.
the glue so well. The glue does not penetrate the
My plan, for which the customer often has
resinous portions of the wood as well as it does thanked me, is to explain about the pitch, citing
the non-resinous portions. Now, spruce consists the reasons for following this policy.
of alternate layers of resinous and non-resinous
When a customer requests me to tune a piano
wood. Therefore the non-resinous portion ab- to international pitch, I tell him or her that if
sorbs the greater part of the glue. Now, since it is considerably below pitch I cannot do jus-
moisture penetrates the soft non-resinous more tice to it without tuning it at least twice, with
quickly than the hard resinous wood, the hold- an interval of a week between tunings. I have
ing power of the glue is weakened and for this yet to finfl one customer object to this plan or
reason cracks are likely to develop.
refuse to pay for the additional tuning. Quite
I say "are likely to develop." A sound board naturally the owner of a piano which has not
is crowned outwardly, that is, towards the front. been tuned for four or five years takes no
The strings, bearing against the crown through special interest in his instrument. All he or
the medium of the bridge, tend to force the
(Continued on page 12)
board to a flat or non-crown plane, so that if
the point at which the string is struck are prob-
ably very weak."
Doctor Miller goes on to say that he hopes
to use his phonodeik in further study of this
important point. On this whole matter I hope to
have something to say next week. Meanwhile
will my scientifically minded readers think it over
for themselves? There are some very nice points
here involved with the art of piano design.
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