Greg, Ron's question was: >> > John, >> > How then does this correlate with the number of new Steinways we see >> > (often enough on the showroom floor) with concave crown in the killer >> > octave? It seems to me that if a crowned bridge is supporting >> soundboard >> > crown and making it last longer, there ought to be soundboard crown to >> > show for it. Especially in a new piano. My answer in short is: We see these problems because of a lack of craftsmanship not necessarily because crowning the bridges doesn't work. I don't know if it really helps or not but if it doesn't help it is not an explanation for why the pianos made today have these problems. I also tried to explain why there is a lack of craftsmanship today. John Greg Newell wrote: > > John, > I'm confused. Exactly which question did you answer here? > > Greg Newell > > > > > At 05:24 PM 4/12/2003, you wrote: > >> Phew Ron, >> >> Are you sure you what me to answer all of these questions? I feel like >> a general at a CENTCOM briefing. I can' answer all of this at once so >> let me bite off one and see how it goes. >> >> >> I have worked on many brands of grand pianos and have observed that >> >> some pianos seem not to have this feature but the two brands that >> >> consistently show evidence of bridge crowning are Steinway and Mason >> >> and Hamlin. >> > >> > >> > John, >> > How then does this correlate with the number of new Steinways we see >> > (often enough on the showroom floor) with concave crown in the killer >> > octave? It seems to me that if a crowned bridge is supporting >> soundboard >> > crown and making it last longer, there ought to be soundboard crown to >> > show for it. Especially in a new piano. >> >> Since my rebuilding process involves soundboard replacement I usualy >> work on pianos that are over the hill - say 40 years old or more. I >> don't expect to see very much crown left at this stage no matter how >> well made or what design principles were used. As far as how new >> pianos are fairing; all I can think is that we are simply not living >> at a time in history that is conducive to building fine pianos. We no >> longer have the cheap skilled work force or the economic momentum >> (competition for a growing marker) that was the fertile environment >> that nurtured these fine instruments. Furthermore, and most telling >> is how far we are removed from the aesthetic soil that gave rise to a >> true renaissance in piano building. The public's ears are no longer >> attuned to the subtleties of tone and fewer and fewer of them would >> know the difference between the frogs seen in hotel lobbies or the >> finely prepared pianos of Carnegie Hall. Now days we are lucky if a >> few pop out the factory door without fatal flaws. >> >> Fortunately the news is not all black for us technicians in this era >> of shrinking interest in the piano. There are still a few great oaks >> standing in the old growth forest. They with there followers are still >> interested in the piano and the music written for it. I can't think of >> any of them that I have met that would not want their piano to sound >> and play as well as those built at the height of the golden era of >> piano building. It is their hope as - I hear it - that playing these >> pianos will give them greater insight into the music they love to >> play. I think that studying these instruments is vital to us >> technicians - and not just studying how they don't work but how they >> do work. >> >> John Hartman RPT >> >> John Hartman Pianos [link redacted at request of site owner - Jul 25, 2015] >> Rebuilding Steinway and Mason & Hamlin >> Grand Pianos Since 1979 >> >> Piano Technicians Journal >> Journal Illustrator/Contributing Editor >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >> > > Greg Newell > mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives -- John Hartman RPT John Hartman Pianos [link redacted at request of site owner - Jul 25, 2015] Rebuilding Steinway and Mason & Hamlin Grand Pianos Since 1979 Piano Technicians Journal Journal Illustrator/Contributing Editor
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