My piano, Chickering

[Delwin D Fandrich]

Michael J. Wathen wrote:
> 
> I know that I said in a previous post that my 100 year old Chickering was
> "maybe a little weak" but after ddf's most recent post saying
> 
> >Actually, I'd have replaced the soundboard and capped the bridges. There
> >is no way that a soundboard that old can have the necessary amount of
> >stiffness that it needs to provide the proper impedance load to the
> >strings. Both sustain and tone quality will have suffered. Assuming that
> >wasn't an option for you, I'd suggest that you still need a certain
> >minimum amount of string load on the soundboard. Forget about crown,
> >there isn't going to be much left after a hundred years, if any. But
> >without some sting load against the bridge (i.e., downbearing) you're
> >going to have a tough time realizing even what little tone performance
> >the old board does have left to give.
> >
> 
> I thought that I would stand up for the old girl.  I have had lots of pianos
> in my house over the last twenty years but she is the best.  What I said
> about her being "maybe a little weak" was said in jest. Her age is
> deceiving.  I am not saying that you are wrong in what you say above only
> that this one defies the odds for good sound.  You can listen to two sound
> clips on the page below and judge for yourself.  The miking is not the best
> and it is in mono so the depth and some richness is lost.  Still.....
> 
> http://ucccm56.ccm.uc.edu/sound/index.htm
> ,.,.,,,.,,,,,,.,.,,,.,,,,,,,.,,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,,
> ,,,.,.,.,.,
> 
> 
>  Michael J. Wathen, RPT                 Phone:  513-556-9565
>  Piano Technician                       Fax:    513-556-3399
>  College-Consevatory of Music           Email:  Michael.Wathen@UC.Edu
>  University of Cincinnati
>  Cincinnati, OH 45221-0096
> 
> http://www.uc.edu/~wathenmj/


As I have often said in the past, beauty is in the ear of the
beholder...

--ddf