on 9/26/03 1:41 PM, Richard Brekne at Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no wrote: > > Avery Todd wrote: > >> I'll accept what you said. Sort of. ;-) Just one comment. I never said that >> Steinways can't be fantastic instruments. I only mean that too many times >> they don't live up to their potential. Because of factory, dealer prep (or >> lack of it), whatever. For the money, IMHO, they ought to be better "out of >> the box", so to speak! :-) Oh yeah....interesting subject....the reality of it is that many new American Steinway grand pianos need more than even a great prep can give: --less/more weight on hammers --less/more, differently positioned lead in keys --moving the capstan line and/or changing the angles of the capstans(idealizing the key ratio) --changing the action spread --changing the length of the whippen heel to achieve "magic line" compliance --in rare cases, changing the stack height. That said, most Steinway dealers----tragically---don't even give these pianos the minimum preparation. Even if the action weight distribution and geometry is close on a new Steinway, they still need 2 full days (14-15 hrs.) of prep, including precision tuning and voicing; string seating, bending, and leveling, damper timing, key height change, and so many other protocols that other manufacturers take care of in the factory----it's embarassing, really. > > Thats one thing I've always liked about Yamahas. Pretty decent out of the box > most every time. No kidding. What a fabulous company Yamaha is; what consistently high quality they put into every step of their C, S, and CF series. I am not an employee of the company, nor have I been paid by them; but if some Yamaha poobah reads this and is inspired to cross my palm with silver, I'd blush, but I'd take it. <g> If you ever wanta know, I have 4 little tricks I do with a Yamaha grand action that put it into a different realm, IMHO. >My experience tho is that most manufacturers leave em pretty raw. > Irritating at times... but its good work when you can get it :) Yes it is. Some of my favorite work: taking a great piano out of the box and helping it to sing, to please an artist. Mmmmm. >> Avery >> >>> Just cant buy it. Sorry. That kind of dominance doenst result from PR... >>> especially considering the PR machine Yamaha has rolling... and not able >>> to put >>> a chink in Steinways dominance. That an artist will spend a year looking >>> for >>> an instrument that pleases him... is as ususal as daylight in Memphis Avery. >>> Thats what they love doing most. There's something about an American Steinway that IS, grudgingly or not, special and different . When they get right thru various performance enhancement wizardry, they can be the best of all worlds---much ballsier and elementally darker & more complex than your normal, beautiful Hamburg instrument. That said, my 3rd or 4th favorite instrument in the world is a modern Hamburg C. >> In the case mentioned, I don't think so. He basically drove Steinway >> crazy because he couldn't find an instrument that he was will to >> send to us. They finally offered him a new C & A instrument that was >> about to go out and he finally settled on that one. It even already >> had the moving rails on the side and the logo on the other side! And >> it still had to have a good bit of regulating and voicing work done >> after it arrived. It is a good instrument but not as "big" as the >> rebuilt one. Hand-made, quirky pianos---each one is different. And some artists are----shall we say---sonically and tonally subjective and eccentric. Not to mention capricious. > > I dont doubt you here... finding an instrument that is going to live up to the > expectations one has in these cases can be a time consuming affair. Next > time... > send him to Hamburg !! ... on the premise that he comes back with one he likes > no > ifs ands or butts about it. > Hmmmm..... >> >>>>>> RicB >> >> Avery Best, David A.
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