Terry, -- On Wed, 4 Jul 2001 10:09:50 Farrell wrote: >"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." > >I think two additional things should be considered in this discussion. > >The first is the role of the bean counters and marketing departments at >piano companies (yes even in 1910 they had them). How many Steinway or >Chickering designs were the end-all of design from that period? Maybe their >9-footer? Maybe only their 9-footer? Why did they make smaller pianos? >Because they thought they sounded better than the 9-footer? NO! Because they >could sell more 6-footers than 9-footers. Why do you see so many 6-foot >scales with plain wires right down to note 26 (or lower)? Because they look >more like the concert piano if they don't put wound strings in the tenor >section, and hence they will sell more of these pianos. I don't think anyone >will ever know all the inside decisions that were made (and are being made >today) at these companies, but I suspect that yesteryear was not a lot >different than what goes on today - look at the ads from Steinway, >Chickering, Weber, Bechstein before the turn of the century - it was war >with all the Chickering artists, Bechstein artists, etc. - no different than >Nike and Michael Spinks, Baldwin and Bruce Hornsby (sp?) - whatever! I >suspect the designs of a company's concert grand from whatever era >represented something close to the designers and workers best effort, but I >suspect the smaller pianos represented many, many compromises - and not the >technical ones Del often talks about that abound in small piano design, but >rather compromises induced by marketing/sales departments. So I suspect many >of these pianos are crying out for improvements. -- Good points. I may have to back off some from my position on improvements. -- > >The other item has been brought up, but maybe I can just expand a bit. Take >the Steinway model A. Is an A1 the final product? No, they went to an A2. >Was the A2 a final product? Nope, after than came the A3. Let's say you have >an A2 to rebuild. It may be best to talk to the owner about options and have >them decide whether they want to preserve an "original A2 design" or make >the few improvements that a skilled designer could make. I think both >courses of action have merit, and the rebuilder needs to let the owner make >an informed decision. -- Well said. I think the important thing is that the owner truly can make an informed decision, not be talked into improvements because the piano technician wants to make them for reasons of his own. Some people might prefer a completely original piano, others an 'improved' piano. -- Phil > >Just a few of my thoughts. Wonderful discussion. > >Terry Farrell > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Phillip L Ford" <fordpiano@lycos.com> >To: <pianotech@ptg.org> >Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2001 9:44 PM >Subject: Re: Rescaling > > >> 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 t! >> hi! >> s >> 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/ > > Get 250 color business cards for FREE! http://businesscards.lycos.com/vp/fastpath/
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