source file: m1398.txt
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998 00:24:50 -0700 (PDT)

Subject: Difficulties in Piano Construction

From: Jesse Bagshaw Gay <jgay@reed.edu>

Several books I have read say that one of the largest reasons for the
popularity of Equal Temperament in western music is that the most
prominent piano manufacturers all decided to make pianos in ET, and that
constructing a JI piano creates some serious mechanical difficulties.
However, the books have never mentioned what these mechanical difficulties
are.  Does anyone have any input on this question?  It is one of the last
unanswered questions in my music perception thesis in which I compare
perception of ET with perception of JI in certain circumstances.  I need
to finish by fri.

Thanks for the input, 
Jesse Gay
Reed College