[CAUT] The Steinway Cult thing.

[Richard Brekne]

Hi Fred.

I dont think in this case there is much of anything to point at 
concerning the <<restore>> job itself.  Just about every tech I've ever 
met has put a set of hammers on a grand without doing the weigh off.  I 
find it hard to fault that given what we are <<taught>> by various 
resources around the globe... tho with Stanwoods influence this is 
changing.  The only other thing related to the <<restore>> itself has 
too do with the pin height... which is much more a problem for the tuner 
then the user.  No, most of the acute issues with this piano have to do 
with the fact that its been used heavily for 10-12 years and is 
naturally enough very much out of regulation and operating with very 
worn parts.

What a real restoration consists of is really another discussion 
anyways... and we could easily go there in this <<Steinway cult>> 
context to be sure. But thats been hashed many times.

Otherwise... I agree very much that if the owner in this case was 
presented side by side with two versions of the piano, one as it is and 
the other fully prepped, then there would be little doubt as too which 
would be preferable and no doubt that a big Ahha light would go on for 
the pianist.  And the example, including both setup issues and wear and 
tear issues does serve nicely to show how much the name means to 
pianists, and how much human psychology seems to be in the game in 
general when it comes to an instrument. We can quickly move away from 
the Steinway cult theme as such to see how that works in similar fashion 
regardless.

In the end tho... I am perhaps a bit less optimistic about how much 
influence attempts at <<objectifying>> pianists perceptions will be.  
Tho, like you... I try all the time. And am constantly learning how 
little I know myself when it comes down to it.... strange life we have 
chosen for ourselves really :)

Cheers
RicB


        On Apr 24, 2009, at 12:26 PM, Richard Brekne wrote:

            Thing is I just dont see how on earth anyone of us... or
            even all of   us put together has got a hoot'n chance of
            doing anything about this  phenomena.  And I'll bet 2 dozen
            to 1 that it's not so important   exactly what name the
            present piano deity has...  it the fact that   pianists just
            need the deity.  The reality of that deities condition   is
            in the end not relevant. I'll be the first to hop on
            anyones   frustration wagon as far as that ride will take
            me.   But experience   tells me... there aint a damned thing
            I or anyone else can do to   change it.  At best... we can
            truly satisfy a very few open minds   who are willing to try
            anything as long as real quality has its   named not just on
            the fallboard but in every part of the pianos   performance.
            For those few .... just about any well executed   approach
            will work.  But for the rest of the worlds
            <<pianists>>...    its just hopeless. Its good (or not)
            simply depending on the name.   And that seems to be a fact
            I have to live with, and try to make the   best of.

        Fred Sturm replies:

        Curiously, this is an example of what seems, by your
        description, to  be a reasonably decent piano badly set up and
        prepped. I guess you are  saying that the customer overlooks the
        bad prep because of the name on  the fallboard, and the fact she
        heard the rebuilder was good. And no  doubt lots of people -
        maybe most - are pretty suggestible that way,  and aren't all
        that perceptive and able to make up their own minds  based on
        their own perceptions.  But the moral I draw from the story is
        that this customer - and as  much of the public at large as
        possible - needs to be exposed to well- prepped pianos. I am
        convinced from my own experience that this can be  an
        eye-opening and life-changing experience, and one that will lead
        to  more sensitivity and demand for excellence of different
        sorts  (including subtleties of design and materials - like
        hammers and  soundboards). When most pianos a person comes in
        contact with are  "horribly out of focus" (as I would put your
        description of the  condition of the O), it is hard to tell the
        difference with any  certainty, from the perspective of the
        pianist. When at least a large  number are "in focus," it
        becomes possible to discern the real  underlying differences.
        Not that that will entirely eliminate the knee- jerk fallboard
        decal reaction, but I think it helps.
         IOW, there _is_ something we can do. But it is a lot of small
        things.
        Regards,
        Fred Sturm
        University of New Mexico
        fssturm at unm.edu