It won't be a Steinway anymore!

[Farrell]

Well, good grief. I thought I had a good point. I guess I'll just thank my
lucky stars that I am not a violin technician. But tell me why some number
(many?) of top violinists such as Itzhak Perlman, Yo Yo Ma, Issac Stern, Gil
Shaham, Joshua Bell, and Nigel Kennedy pay top dollar for violins by
Stradivari and Guarneri that are hundreds of years old? The "soundboards"
and major components of these violins are pretty much original, aren't they?
To quote André Oorebeek from Amsterdam, Holland "The first years are always
the best, and that's the reason why concert D's
disappear from the stage after just a number of years." O'm sure there are
always exceptions to every generality, but am I not on the right track -
generally?

I'll back away from suggesting that I am spreading expert knowledge, and say
that I am just trying to understand. There seems to be a difference to me.
No?

----- Original Message -----
From: "Murray Seminuk" <seminukm@cadvision.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2001 5:33 PM
Subject: Re: It won't be a Steinway anymore!


> Terry
> I disagree with most of the comments that you made about violins. First of
> all, violins of the ages that you  mentioned have all been altered if they
> are in use today.   The necks had to be lengthened  to withstand the
> increase in tension as a result of the increase in the international
> pitch.When violins are made the glue used on the top plate is usually
> weakened  to facilitate easier removal in the future if need be.The wood
in
> violin making is aged a number of years (air dried) before the instrument
> is made.As far as the improvement in sound by the aging process,  I
believe
> that the amount the instrument is played over the years has more bearing
on
> the tonal qualities than how old it is. Old instruments  all benefit from
> the services of a knowledgeable craftsman  capable of a careful  and
> thoughtful restoration.
>
> Regards,
> Murray
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2001 6:36 AM
> Subject: Re: It won't be a Steinway anymore!
>
>
> > Well, I'm not a violin technician, but that is what I hear. I realize
that
> > not everything about the instrument would improve, but my understanding
is
> > that some of the wood properties do indeed improve. My understanding is
> that
> > modern hi-quality violins really need a few years -decades? - to reach
an
> > improved tone. Am I way off? I think at a minimum, violins are really
> > different from pianos in the way the age. I have never seen a 250 year
old
> > piano play that was considered to be one of the best sounding pianos in
> the
> > world. At least gimme that - there is a big difference between the two
> > instruments regarding aging.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Ron Nossaman" <RNossaman@KSCABLE.com>
> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> > Sent: Friday, June 01, 2001 8:08 PM
> > Subject: Re: It won't be a Steinway anymore!
> >
> >
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Violins improve with age,
> > >
> > >
> > > Oh?
> > >
> > >
> > > Ron N
> > >
> >
> >
>
>