armond

[Armond]

Armond, I forgot one, in 1988 I had the pleasure of playing the Falconi
pianos at the Saint Louis Convention, this was the only other time the real
piano sound was made.  Mr. Falconi let me go in the separate room with his
pianos and play them for 3 hours from 6-9AM.  I couldn't stop playing them.
Renner actions.  One small tensioneer at the top treble.  Every note on
those pianos had a perfect and full bell like tone.  So powerful and clear
and also so soft and sleepy if you wanted.  oh hell, i'm just in a
reminiscing mood, somebody snap me out of it.

on 2/11/03 2:49 PM, Robert Goodale at rrg@unlv.edu wrote:

I would be interested in hearing some opinions on tone variances between
Mapes and Roslau wire.  I have used both.  Other than origin and color what
noticable differences have some of you noticed in tone quality?  I'm not
certain how this could be verified without stringing two identical pianos
with each type of wire and then placing them side by side.  Has anyone
noticed any defined brightness, fullness, or particular partial emphasis or
suppressions between them?  If so which seems to closer resemble the tone
quality of strings originally used in 1920s-ish pianos?
 
Just wondering, seems like a good topic for discussion.
Rob Goodale, RPT
Las Vegas, NV

from Armond D'Ambrosio, armond@snip.net

to me, without a doubt the Roslau wire is brighter and gives more higher
partials on a light touch to the piano which is not desireable.  this was
consistent to me on all restringing jobs.  being older and a pianist
enjoying Oscar Peterson and Art Tatem styles i much prefer the Mape Wire and
feel it is the closest to the 1920's sound.  TO me this was the real
musicians piano tone.  one can not, in my opinion, play music on the new
pianos of today which utilize high tension wire and hard hammers.  it is not
conducive to relaying emotion through music, unless of course it is rock and
roll, then the bright sound does the trick.  I stuck with, after a few
mistakes, Ronsen Hammers, Mape Gold Wire, and Mape Bass Strings.

      a further comment is, and please don't everyone jump all over me, the
piano has not been manufactured since the 1960's and by far the greatest and
only real pianos of all time were made in the 1920's in this country and
only in this country.  I had one customer though in FL with a 6'8
Bosendorfer made in 1964, a beautiful sweet sound, very touchy instrument.
Excellent.  still not a Steinway, Mason and Hamlin, or a Baldwin of the old
days.  Same thing happened to guitars, violins, horns, etc.  does anyone
know why such great knowledge and craftmanship was abandoned?  i think for
the most the large corporations bought everyone out and mass production
replace it, yes?