It won't be a Steinway anymore!

David M. Porritt dporritt@post.cis.smu.edu
Sat, 02 Jun 2001 10:32:41 -0500


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I understand this very well.  I'm just trying to understand what the=
 customers are saying when they claim it won't be a Steinway anymore.  I=
 suspect they are grieving the loss of it's condition when new.  They truly=
 only have two choices; leave it as it is, or rebuild it to make it better.=
  I have just never understood what they were trying to say by their=
 statement that "it won't be a Steinway anymore."

dave
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On 6/1/01 at 10:23 PM Tom Servinsky wrote:
Just how many pianos have the Steinway family members built in the last=
 century. I mean Steinway family members, working in the factory, actually=
 getting their hands dirty and sweating it out.  My bet is less than 1% of=
 the total output since their inception into piano building has any of the=
 family members actually built Steinway pianos.  Stradivarius, ahhhhh, that=
 was a different situation. He alone, built all the Strads and thus, in my=
 opinion, those are true Strads.  Steinways on the other hand...a whole=
 different story.  
I hope you are seeing where I heading with this direction.  Just what is a=
 true Steinway?
Were the CBS years real Steinways?
In theory a Steinway is in the design and choice of woods.  If a soundboard=
 needs replacement, and as long as the design and theory are adhered to,=
 the Steinway can be correctly remanufactured to the Steinway=
 specifications.
Obviously there are many on this list who have strong feelings that=
 Steinways can be and should be... more. They embellish the soundboard,=
 change some of the configurations, change leverage ratios in the action,=
 and basically create a embellished version of a Steinway. 
Is that still considered a Steinway?
Does that deplete the value of the piano?
At this point I say who cares.
My attitude is if a rebuilder does a magnificent job overcoming some=
 inherent problems and creates this instrument into a masterpiece...a tip=
 of the hat to them.  If the action turns out to be a much smoother=
 performing machine than before, is that wrong?
I guess I'm more humored at the notion as to what is considered a real=
 Steinway.  
There are many of great Steinway pianos gracing many concert halls and=
 recording studios with no Steinway parts in the action. Do you think the=
 artist knows or cares? How about Joe Public buying the CD? Really, who=
 cares. If it sounds great and it happens to be a Steinway....great.  Enjoy=
 it.
Tom Servinsky, RPT
From: David M. Porritt 
To: pianotech@ptg.org 
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2001 12:22 PM
Subject: It won't be a Steinway anymore!


I have been in this work for just under 30 years.  I've heard about any=
 question or comment possible by customers.  There's one though, that=
 completely stumps me!

If a piano needs a new sounding board I often here "...but it won't be a=
 Steinway anymore."  I often come up with a lame analogy to a race driver.=
  He doesn't care what kind of fuel pump his car has as long as it's the=
 fastest it can be.  Do you want your piano to be the best it can be, or do=
 you want to keep this old sounding board.  

Does anyone have a good, but not glib, answer for these people?  I just=
 don't understand their thinking.  

dave




David M. Porritt
dporritt@swbell.net
Meadows School of the Arts
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275


David M. Porritt
dporritt@swbell.net
Meadows School of the Arts
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275


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