[CAUT] Tone "contrast"; Was - The "new" S&S Hammers.

[Jim Busby]

Ron,

Your piano was great and I wish it had been played in the concert there!
I can't remember who did the two concert pianos (well, one I can) but my
comment is that they were indeed beautiful and better than anything I
have ever done. I really hate to name names because I'm no expert at
voicing nor much of anything else. It's just that both concert pianos
seemed too "monochromatic" for my tastes. Not just a little, but a lot.

It's hard to critique w/o appearing to be an ass and/or know-it-all. I
might be an ass, but I'm far from a know-it-all. I probably shouldn't
have started this thread because it may be something best left to water
cooler discussions, being mainly about aesthetics and such, especially
when it causes some very good technicians to go somewhat postal with
rhetoric. (That was never my desire.)

Dale Erwin, one name I will mention, is a wonderful technician and world
class rebuilder, besides being a great teacher and genuine good guy. His
voicing is exactly as he strives to achieve. Eric Schandell is also top
notch. They are vastly different in their voicing. My original thread
was trying to get to this point; what is really desirable? How can there
be such a difference and it never be discussed?

I dunno, "The more I learn, the less I know for sure."

I'm going to Alaska for a 10 day vacation. 

Later.

Regards,
Jim Busby


-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Ron Nossaman
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 8:50 PM
To: dporritt at smu.edu; College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Tone "contrast"; Was - The "new" S&S Hammers.

> Exactly, Jim!  Most pianists I've run into (and actually I can't think
of
> any who have a different take on this) want a wider - not narrower
palette
> of colors.  While they want a dark purple shade for part of the Adagio
> section they also want some flaming orange when called for.  They
think it
> "too bright" if they can't get the darker colors but "powerless" if
they
> can't make it sizzle.  I've seen the broken strings on pianos that
wouldn't
> sizzle and the pianist pushed them to get it.
> 
> dp
> 
> ____________________
> David M. Porritt, RPT
> dporritt at smu.edu
>  
> -----Original Message-----
> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Jim
> Busby
> Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 3:10 PM
> To: College and University Technicians
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Tone "contrast"; Was - The "new" S&S Hammers.
> 
> Hi Ric, others,
> 
> At the same concert (original post) I mentioned to two Steinway techs
in
> attendance that there seemed to be "no contrast of tone". (I won't
> mention their names). Both said the same thing... "That's right, and
> it's not really what we're after at Steinway". 
> 
> While there may be no "one way" to voice it's revealing to me that
Eric
> S., Ron C., Scott J. and John P. have all voiced pianos I've listened
to
> and they all are VERY similar. Vince is also of that school. John
Patten
> and Eric both made the comment that all Steinway C&A techs pretty much
> do things the same way, or at least get to the same standard in
tuning,
> voicing and regulation. 
> 
> Maybe I'm an idiot saying this but "pretty pianos" (like the rebuilds
I
> mentioned at the convention) bore me after a while. I keep waiting for
> the ff sections to blow my hair back or move me emotionally, but they
> don't. 
> 
> Jim Busby BYU

Jim,
I'd like the short list of those "pretty" pianos at Rochester 
that didn't do it for you, please. A straightforward naming of 
names, so we who brought pianos will know where we stand and 
where and how we failed. Specifics, if you please, for our 
education. How else will we learn?

David,
Has anyone at SMU complained about the narrow palette of 
colors available from the D+ I did for you folks? If so, why 
haven't I heard about it?

I'd really appreciate some specificity here from both of you, 
so those of us on the block from Rochester (and elsewhere) 
will have a clue what the bitch is, to better evaluate our 
methods and general philosophies toward rebuilding.

Thanks,
Ron N