a different piano design...

[Ron Nossaman]

At 11:54 PM 2/15/98 -0600, you wrote:
>
>
>----------
>> From: Ron Nossaman <nossaman@SOUTHWIND.NET>
>> To: pianotech@ptg.org
>> Subject: Re: a different piano design...
>> Date: Sunday, February 15, 1998 11:08 AM
>. Now if a good acoustic
>> design can be competently manufactured in large numbers in the form
>of a
>> mid-priced piano, I think it would get some attention. It's
>technically
>> possible to do this. The political aspects of getting past
>stone-headed
>> human nature are all that is holding the process back. 
>> 
>>  Ron Nossaman
>
>	But this  already happened.  Look at the imported grand pianos of
>the late 70's, from Japan and Korea.  Very decent instruments very
>"cheaper" than American and Eurpoean.  Grand pianos for the masses. 
>And compare these imports to the lower priced grands that appeared on
>the American market by domestic manufacturers in the 20's and 30's. 
>The Brambachs, the H.C. Bay's, one actually named "Webber" If you
>compare these pianos to the lower priced imports of the 70's and
>80's, there is no question of who over came compromises in quality,
>as you are proposing, if I may quote...  
>>" Now if a good acoustic
>> design can be competently manufactured in large numbers in the form
>of a
>> mid-priced piano, I think it would get some attention."
>


And didn't it get some attention? And didn't the prices of these imports
climb until they were comparable to those of U.S. manufactured pianos? And
didn't the sound quality become more and more "Americanized" as the years
went by until everything is becoming too bright and shallow? And aren't we
pretty much right back where we were in the 70's with too little choice in
piano sound?  Read Mike Masters' post about the Walter grand, that's more
the type of sound more manufacturers should be exploring.


>Now the question is, can Americans hope to make a quality mid-range
>grand? 

I'll quote myself; "The political aspects of getting past stone-headed
human nature are all that is holding the process back."

 
>Hmm there are only three makers left in America, and two of
>them are known for superb quality, and the third, I understand by
>hearsay, is dedicated to higher quality. Mass production seems to be
>the problem religated to "off shore" (at least  that is a better term
>than "foreign") competitors.  
>
>Richard Moody 
>

Among the American manufacturers, which ones are which? Mass production of a
reasonably priced, good quality piano could be accomplished by ANY
manufacturer who gave a good jolly d**n to do so. It just requires a good
design, efficient processes, intelligence in management, and a little
accountability through the process. I know that is difficult to accomplish,
I just don't know why it has to be.


 Ron Nossaman