Klarinet Archive - Posting 000211.txt from 2005/08

From: Tim Roberts <timr@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Ah, ligatures....Gold vs. Silver
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 13:24:58 -0400

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 11:27:07 +1000, "Geoff & Sherryl-Lee Secomb"
<gsecomb@-----.au> wrote:

>I guess what I *am* saying is: OPEN your minds to the possibilities that
>these things could make a difference. After all, different configurations
>are available, and many players seem able to grant that these produce
>different results.
>

This is a very dangerous statement. It is the same kind of "I believe
it, therefore it must be true" argument that astrologers and
creationists use to try to insert themselves into "science". ("Can't
you just open your mind to the possibility that planetary alignments
affect our personality?")

In your case, there are just too many variables. The ligature base
metals might have been of different weights. They might have been
tightened differently. They might have had different contact points.
They might have had imperfections in the metallurgy. Any of these
things might have resulted in the differences you heard.

I don't think anyone is saying that the plating could not possibly have
made a difference, but from an engineering standpoint, I find it almost
impossible to believe that the difference -- from that cause alone --
would be detectable.

--
Tim Roberts, timr@-----.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

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