Les, You have such a way with words. I happen to agree, but haven't quite decided how to say that in public, yet. Best to you and yours. Horace At 11:32 PM 3/19/97 -0500, you wrote: >Hi, Horace. > >How long should a soundboard retain it's crown? It's all relative, >today, Horace. Relative to the length of the warranty! Let me ex- >plain. We've all seen vintage Steinways, Mason and Hamlins, Chick- >erings, Knabes, Stecks, Webers and other fine pianos which, today, >100 years later, still have measurable crown in their soundboards, >even in original, unrestored condition. But those instruments were >made back in the "Dark Ages" of the piano, technologically speak- >ing. Ny modern standards they were grossly--assumedly because of >ignorance-- over-engineered and over-built. In the century of en- >lightenment which has ensued, where modern instruments are able to >take full advantage of current mass-production techniques like com- >puter-aided design, multi-national out-sourcing, and a constant flow >of innovations which are constantly labeled "new and improved" but >really mean that someone found a way to do it cheaper--which in o- >day's world automatically means "better"--we have finally reached >that point in the evolution of the piano, that culmination of al- >most 290 years of progress since the first rudimentary design of >Christophori, where the manufacturer can now, for the first time, >accurately match the warranty to the design and quality of the >piano. In others words, a piano that carries a warranty of five >years, is designed to last five years and one day. A piano with >a ten years warranty, designed to last ten years and one day. It's >one of the miracles of modern piano technology! So when you ask >how long the crown on soundboard should last, it's all relative-- >to the length of the warranty. No more of this nonsense about a >piano being so over-engineered and over-built that it will out- >last the warranty by a century, or so. Modern technology has cor- >rected THAT MISTAKE, alright! > >Sound cynical? You bet it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! > >Les Smith >lessmith@buffnet.net > > > > > > > > >On Wed, 19 Mar 1997, Horace Greeley wrote: > >> Les, >> >> WHAT???? >> >> You mean, after all these years of freezing my nether regions off, there's >> NO GREAT PUMPKIN? >> >> OH, WOE! >> >> I suppose that this means that soundboards are supposed to stay crowned >> longer than 8 years, too? >> >> Best. >> >> Horace >> >> >> >> >On Wed, 19 Mar 1997, Rob Kiddell wrote: >> > >> >> >> >> From: Les Smith <lessmith@buffnet.net> >> >> >> >> >we build them so good now, we only have to give five years!" Now >> >> >I'm only expressing an opinion here, but I would suggest that if one >> >> >buys that explaination, they not only put out a plate of cookies and >> >> >glass of milk for Santa Claus on Christmas eve; get up early Easter >> >> >morning, hoping to catch the bunny filling the baskets; and put >> >> >their loose teeth under the pillow, hoping for the Tooth fairy to >> >> >pay them a visit during the night; but they probably are also >> >> >waiting anxious- >> >> >> >> >> >> Whatt?!? Youv'e just shattered four of my illusions on a Tuesday >> >> morning. What a terrible thing to do to previously unsuspecting >> >> techs! 8-) >> >> >> >> Rob K >> > >> >Wow, Bob, FOUR illusions in ome day! Soryy about that! Now I'm really >> >glad that I didn't mention the Great Pumpkin Hoax at Halloween,too, >> >or it might have been FIVE....oops! :) >> > >> >Les Smith >> >lessmith@buffnet.net >> >> >> >> >> Horace Greeley hgreeley@leland.stanford.edu >> >> "Always forgive your enemies, >> nothing annoys them so much. >> >> - Oscar Wilde >> >> LiNCS voice: 725-4627 >> Stanford University fax: 725-9942 >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > > > Horace Greeley Stanford University email: hgreeley@leland.stanford.edu voice mail: 415.725.9062 LiNCS help line: 415.725.4627
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