[CAUT] Sostenuto mounting (was Re: Forum format)

[Fred Sturm]

On Jul 18, 2008, at 4:19 PM, Ron Nossaman wrote:

> Seems odd to me that something lying out there in the open,  
> figuratively speaking, unprotected by patent, wouldn't be stolen by  
> at least one manufacturer in all those years unless no one else  
> thought it worth stealing.

	I dunno, doesn't seem odd to me. Suppose, for the sake of argument,  
the person at Yamaha in charge of making technical changes became  
convinced that the Steinway mounting system was superior, and wanted  
to implement it. Marketing would ask some questions:
Q Does this improve the function of the piano?
A No, function is identical, assuming both designs are well regulated.
Q So how can we market this?
A It makes it easier for techs to service the damper system.
	Okay, this could actually make sense from a marketing point of view.  
Yamaha has a history of making changes that are "service-friendly,"  
and as a result techs are positive toward Yamaha and recommend the  
brand to their customers. But now comes the rub: try to market the  
Steinway mounting system to the average tech as being "service- 
friendly." Hahahahaha! the 90 percent or more of techs for whom the  
Steinway system is a mystery with connotations of extreme frustration  
and failure wouldn't buy that argument in a million years. End of story.
	There is no question the Steinway system is less intuitive to  
regulate, and that it is more difficult to teach and to learn than the  
more common system. Hence there is a majority view that it is  
inferior. Steinway is forced to make a large investment in education  
to try to see that its pianos have sostenutos that are at least close  
to correct.
	I look at the difference as analogous to the "hammer rest rail"  
versus the wippen with individual pillows. Both designs have pluses  
and minuses. No question the rest rail has more potential for fine  
adjustment, and is probably a bit cheaper. No question the pillow  
design makes it easier to remove and replace a wippen for service.  
Which is better? I'd choose the pillow design, but it isn't a big  
deal. Same thing for the sostenuto mounting system. If I were a  
manufacturer, I'd choose the belly mounting system, because it would  
make me more popular with more techs, and I wouldn't have to invest so  
much in education. As a tech, I'd give a slight advantage to the  
action mounting.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu