Most just follow what was done before. You make that sound like an insult. I'm one of those that just follows what was done before. I suppose I should refer to myself as a piano restorer rather than a rebuilder. That's what I believe to be my task. I think there is an obligation toward the people that built the instrument to put it back as much as possible to the way that it was originally. If you do otherwise the finished product is not the maker's piano but your own. I once went to a class given by Mr. Sanderson (whose name often seems to come up in discussions of improving pianos). He made a comment which I thought was very much to the point and it went something like this; well, you could redesign the scale on a Steinway but then you really wouldn't have a Steinway any more you'd have a Frankensteinway. I start to worry when I hear the words redesigned or improved or some variation thereof. These words are often used by those that think that new is better and technology is our friend. The builders of the past didn't have our technology and in some areas they didn't have our knowledge. But they were just as smart as we are, were tireless workers and experimenters, and could play and hear just as well as we can. I believe many of their design decisions were made deliberately, not accidentally nor through ignorance. The good makers achieved a unique sound. Their pianos had personality. If one of the consequences of that is that the piano has some quirks or warts, so be it. Perfect pianos, like perfect people, are boring. The Steinway B seems to be a favorite whipping boy of some of these discussions. If you talk to pianists (who, not so incidentally, are the ones that pianos are built for - not piano technicians) you will find many who love that piano. I have played on some Steinway Bs that will make you cry or laugh out loud they are so wonderful to play. I seldom have that experience on new pianos with their low inharmonicity scales and their properly designed this and properly designed that. I have the impression that there are many people who seem to feel that if you just find the right formulas and right computer programs you can design a perfect piano. Then once this perfect design is achieved everyone can just build it. The problem with this is that every piano will be the same. I have a name for this piano. I call it the Stepford piano (if you've seen the Stepford Wives then you should know what I mean). A great piano is an artistic statement in the same way that a Picasso or a Van Gogh is. You wouldn't 'redesign' a Van Gogh because you thought that there was too much paint on the canvas or you thought that the colors were inappropriate for the subject. If you don't agree with what Van Gogh had to say then paint your own painting, don't 'improve' on what he did now that he's not around to stop you. Phil Ford -- On Sat, 30 Jun 2001 07:08:24 Newton Hunt wrote: >Well done Ron O. I wish we all had the facilities to redesign pianos so they >worked well. Most just follow what was done before or, worse, just don't care >what comes out. > >Hope to see you in Reno. > > Newton > > >> David, Del, Newton and list, >> >> Del's post was right on the money. > Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC