Here is a new topic. It will be most familiar with college and university technicians because they service the same instruments over and over again in a concert or recital situation. Also, we can consider good quality grands in such places as teaching studios. Harold Conklin says pianos just die a slow death. A piano will live in its optimum status (excellent concert quality) for a relatively short time. This why Steinway Concert Artist pianos remain on the circuit for average of three years. Here in Cincinnati Baldwin maintains a similar situation at Music Hall. I think he is right. I have watched a number of pianos slowly fade away never to return to their former heights. Many measures are applied but their youthful vigor remains elusive. Its all makes of pianos. The instruments will live on for years as fine instruments but not great instruments. Conklin says that the stresses in a piano are enormous and that the requirements for their superb functioning is such that if even one perimeter (such as a glue joint failure) fails the instrument slips a notch or two. The type of glue failure that we are referring to here is not detectable with the naked eye. Any loss of contact like this means an energy loss. A couple of weeks ago at Music Hall we had the back leg of a nine foot Baldwin dislodge itself on stage during intermission with nearly a full house. The Piano landed on its rear and the lid split into two parts. When I checked it out the next day only a few unisons had gone out and there was no other sign of Damage. However, its probably the beginning of the end for this piano. Michael Wathen Cincinnati
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