----- Original Message ----- From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos at comcast.net> To: <caut at ptg.org> Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 11:06 PM Subject: Re: [CAUT] Jeanie's brain storm - was Boston changed to dealers... > For the most part there are no differences in how they should be prepped > with the exception, perhaps, of voicing. The usual stuff of regulation, > string seating, bolt tightening, etc, is fairly universal. A particular > manufacturer's tonal leaning can vary of course. You wouldn't want to try > and make Yamaha's sound like Steinways or vice versa, nor are you likely > to > be able to. I think that any competent tech ought to be able to prep any > piano even if they've never seen it or heard of it and the tonal signature > of a particular instrument should be something that you can figure out on > the fly. Agreed, to some extent, depending on the level of prep. Small things, though, like, say a string breaks on a NY Steinway, you really ought to know to put a Mapes wire back on so that you have a better chance of the partials matching up. And, staying with Steinway, you can regulate escapement pretty consistently, "off the jack", but you can't get the same results on a Boston, and you'll have use a different method. There will most definitely be "personality" issues that either limit or allow what you can do with one action, tone, tuning, etc., versus another brand. Each brand deserves to carry the touch and sound it considers to be its signature. I know that SMC, for example, is pretty peculiar about how techs in the factory approach certain procedures on their Knabe pianos. They don't want to know all your ideas about how you've done it in the past on a Yamaha or a Steinway. They want it done their way to preserve their signature and streamline production. Steinway and Yamaha similarly have their different approaches, and it ain't just marketing, it's they way they want it done. That's why companies apply for patents, and that's why customers are brand loyal. When a customer sees the name on the fallboard, they're not seeing Tanner or Love or Nossaman. They're buying into something that they believe transcends the work of the service technician. >> Since most dealers have a number of different techs at their disposal >> often > with varying levels of experience and expertise, the quality of the prep > work can vary quite a bit. I think this is where we differ on perspective. If you substitute the word "some" in place of the word "most", I think you'll understand the different perspective. I submit that "most" dealers just use techs who are basically capable of rough floor tunings and wouldn't know how to do most of that stuff you mentioned in the first section above. Maybe ya'll do it different out there, but I know what I've seen in the southeast. Jeff
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC