Ron Nossaman wrote: > >> "No, just that your interpretation of what you hear doesn't allow the > >>possibility of soundboard problems." > >> > >It still apparently assumes a problem exists whether the listener inteprets it > >such or not. > > Of course the problem still exists. Being unaware of a brain tumor doesn't > mean you won't die from it, even if you're quite taken with all the pretty > colors. We are hardly talking brain tumours here. > I tune a lot of pianos for years that I think have absolutely > wretched killer octaves, and have not mentioned a word of it to the owner. > Why? For them, it's not a problem. This doesn't mean that they like that > sound, or would chose it over the sound produced by a better functioning > board, though they well might. Then again, I often hear comments to the > effect that they wish their piano sounded as good as - insert wish-'s > piano, so they aren't all warm and happy with their pianos who's less than > wonderful tone is adequate for them and their budgets. Adequate is the key > word here, and when they don't know any different, yes, that's fine. But if > I'm installing a soundboard, I'm going to take every step available to me > to try to prevent that problem in my work. Killer octaves are fixed in the > design, assembly, and installation of the soundboard - not as a field > repair in the customer's living room. After the soundboard is built and in > a piano, it's too late. > > Ron N > This is a much more convincing angle, and again... as I've said many a time.... you and Del do tell a convincing tale. But the fact that this stands in such stark contrast to what the market chooses wont go away either. So that leaves us with one of two basic directions to take... either the <<problem>> is overstated, or the market is nuts. Ok thats an oversimplification.. but illustrative even so. However, my own experiences dont bear out yours I'm afraid. I find too many older Steinways that simply have far to many good qualities to fit into the compression damage theory. In fact... if there is any correlation between piano types, and how well they do over time... it would seem to me to have more to do with how much care was taken in their construction more then how they were designed. -- 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
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