compression ridges in New Baldwin grand

[Richard Brekne]

Ron Nossaman wrote:

>
> Yes it is. And if you can't point out a BLATANTLY obvious tone problem
> (backed by the customer's opinion), that all the King's voicers can't
> minimize long enough to get past the warranty period, you have no case.
> Remember "But how does it sound?", and "The ear is the final arbiter".
> Who's ear? Never mind that you can see that the fuse is lit. It doesn't
> count until you can produce the explosion.
>
> Ron N
>

You see... thats the kicker.... it just doesnt add up.. not in my experience.
The pianos that sound the absolute best through time just do not show any
relationship to whether they are compression panels or not. Amoung the most
numerous of older good sounding pianos I run into are exactly Steinways.  I just
dont get the "built in self destruct bit".  I mean really folks... if this was
so obviously the problem it is made out to be... for not to say a real problem
at all.. then the market WOULD react. The fact is the market flocks to these
instruments. And the "Legends and Rumours Department" bit just dont get it as a
viable explaination as to why.... certainly not in the face of the degree of
seriousness this compression damage line is made out to be.

Now I will be the first to say, and have many times now.. that Del and others
make a real convincing argument about the whole issue.... except for the fact
that there are so very very very many people who seem to dissagree... and so
very very very many pianos out there that simply do not fit the mold. They have
not self imploded, turned sour, lost power and sustain to the point of being
hoplessly muslexic. I have a beat to crap old turn of the century Steinway thats
been shimmed once.... and otherwise left to decompose... and it still has 8
seconds of sustain at A6. Lots of power... and no where is that thinned out dead
soundboard sound apparent. Lots of false beats mind you... but thats another
story. If the compressionist theory was so signficant, and so correct... this
kind of exception simply could not happen. Something doesnt wash here.

RicB



--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
UiB, Bergen, Norway
mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html
http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html