On Apr 18, 2009, at 9:36 AM, Ron Nossaman wrote: > In both the piano in Reno, and the one in Rochester, Ron used a > stock Samick laminated *panel*, not belly. The string scale, > bridges, rib scale, cutoff bar, and whatever additional bracing he > did to the rim were his own, and decidedly not stock. Yes, I was > impressed. I thought the one in Reno was based on a rim with board already glued in (ribs as well) and the stock plate. Then he made modifications, including thinning the edges of the board and fooling with front bearing, etc, etc. Maybe I got it wrong. Certainly the one in Rochester was more his own. In any case, the point I was trying to make had to do with the importance of prep in how a pianist perceives an instrument. From what many might consider a pretty unpromising beginning, it is possible for a skilled tech to make something quite impressive, something that might well be perceived as better than a possibly better designed but not so well prepped instrument. It is certainly the case that the "wow" piano loses its luster real fast if there isn't a qualified tech around to keep it up. For me, approaching an instrument as a pianist (not a tech), that is certainly the case. As a tech, I might look at potential, but as a pianist, I look at "what goes in and what comes out." So even a couple muddy unisons, a slightly blocking hammer or two, a couple badly seated dampers make an impact. An "out of focus" regulation makes a big difference, as does voicing style. There is a first impression, then there is an impression after adapting to the instrument. But a large percentage of both is based on prep. Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico fssturm at unm.edu PS, answering Roger Jolly: I don't think I said anything about inferior rim, either, though I suppose maybe there might be an inference to be had from the words "what Ron Overs does with a Samick belly and rim." It was intended as a compliment to Ron O, not a slap at Samick. I should have made plain that I was thinking of the piano he showed nearly ten years ago in Reno, and in particular to what he got out of a stock laminated board. It certainly exceeded my expectations by far, based on similar boards in production pianos. Of course, part of it was modifications like the thinning around the edges and adding weight in various places. But it made me question just how important a solid spruce soundboard is, among other things. And it made me question some of the dogmas about design that circulate around.
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