---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment antares wrote: > > Just what are the physical characteristics of wood that are supposed to be > > undergoing these remarkable changes just with age? Is age making the wood > > stiffer? No, aging wood doesn't do that. Is age making the wood more > > flexible? No, aging wood doesn't do that either. Is age supposed to be > > making the wood more massive? Less massive? Age doesn't do that either. > > Except through the addition of subtraction of moisture as it takes on or > > gives up moisture with climatic changes. Nor does the age of wood affect its > > internal friction or the speed of sound either with or across grain. So, > > what is left? Perhaps this is the mystery that Steinway has captured in its > > infamous 'Mystique Oil.' Instant aging. There is no evidence--empirical or > > scientific--that wood, left in an unstressed condition, goes through any > > changes that would affect its performance in a piano soundboard. > > And yet, I, with my ears, state that a newly built Steinway (to name an > instrument) sounds better than an old one. > So now, my question remains : > > WHY? You see Antares... we are actually more in aggreement then perhaps you origionally thought. My whole point is that the subjective nature of what each of us experience as good piano sound cannot simply be discounted by the wave of an "all knowing hand", be that the hand of a priest, a pianist, or an engineer. The fact that you and countless others indeed experience, each in your own way, piano sound in a fashion that simply defies present "scientific" knowledge should be a source of questions to be asked, not opinions to be fayed away. Ahh well... we all need our gods it would seem. Perhaps the answer to your question is simply.... "because you want it to sound better" Perhaps its something more tangeable. Maybe there is some aura left from the living tree...grin... or perhaps Del and his camp are right... in which case there is something wrong with your ears... hehe. All I know... is what I said at the outset... we dont have the answer to that question yet. Tho undoubtably there are those who are convinced we do... all over the place. > > Friendly greetings > from > > André Oorebeek > Amsterdam, Holland > > 'where music is, no harm can be' For me anyways... this has been one of the more thought provoking discussions we've had in a while. Great fun. Cheers ! -- Richard Brekne RPT, N.P.T.F. Bergen, Norway mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/12/d9/a2/ec/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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