Modern Tone

[David Love]

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Seems to me that the school sound is also dictated by budget.  The
school I do work for (major west coast and heavily endowed university)
has no budget for voicing practice room pianos and as much as the pianos
drive me (and probably the students as well) a bit crazy what can you
do.  I hate working for free.  When replacing hammers on these
instruments, I'm inclined to go for the softest hammer I can find.  An
unlacquered Steinway hammer or maybe a Ronsen Bacon Felt hammer and let
the 18 hours of play each day get them where then need to be.  
 
That being said, there are simply differences in taste.  I have a
customer with a Yamaha C7, a big, bright sounding one and he wants it
louder still.  The roof practically shakes when you play loud on it.  Go
figure.  I have another customer who has a Steinway D and prefers the
sound of a totally unlacquered Steinway hammer.  The piano is pretty
soft but has a dynamic range and she likes it that way.  
 
My own taste is toward the warmer side but not at the expense of some
power.  If I voice to my taste, some like it some don't.  So I tend to
ask first.
 
David Love
davidlovepianos@comcast.net 
-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On
Behalf Of Barbara Richmond
Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2005 8:43 AM
To: Pianotech
Subject: Re: Modern Tone
 
Hey Dave,
 
I think Joe's comment does have some merit.  I *do* understand the
practice room problem of loudness, but I remember just "hammering away"
at the voicing anyway, to help keep things under control (and so I could
bear to tune the pianos).  I remember visiting a fellow university tech,
taking a look at a particular piano in a practice room and asking if
that was the tone quality he was shooting for. (I mean, there is some
difference between that granite sound and just plain loud.)   His
immediate response was, "It's only a practice room."  Well???  
 
Then we went up to a recital hall to have a look at one of the
instruments there.  Holy Toledo, I just about fell over playing the
first chord.  He admitted that his assistant was supposed to have voiced
it, but obviously hadn't.  But he also said, that that was how everybody
liked them (and added the comment that some of the petite girls needed
help in producing volume--you might be able to imagine my reaction to
that).  But, he was told when he first arrived on the job that "they
like things bright here."  Well, who can argue with that?  I didn't ask
him who said that, but I might the next time I see him.
 
So, it sort of brings up the "school sound"-- and who determines it.  In
my case, I set it and got lucky because it was well received.  I do
remember one professor telling me of a visiting pianist (from a big
university) making comments about the pianos here.  "If only I could
have pianos like this in my studio."  I *think* he was talking tone
quality, because those were 1970s Teflon Steinways with original
everything (they weren't terrific *playing* instruments because I was
fairly limited in what I could do since my predecessor had repinned the
parts with telephone poles and we had no parts budget).  Anyway, my
reaction to his comment was, "Well, why doesn't he say something to his
technician?"   I knew who the head tech at that school was at the time
and I knew he was a competent technician.
 
So.....there are a lot of determining factors.  Folks get used to a
certain sound, folks who are afraid to ask for something different,
etc., etc., etc.......
 
I have a customer who recently replaced her worn out, little old no name
grand with a 1940s B--all original.   Something was said about how she
liked the sound and touch of the used one better than the new.  I knew
why---it felt and sounded most like her old piano--desperate for
regulation, complete with dampers bouncing on the backs of the keys.
:-)
 
Barbara Richmond
 
 
 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Porritt, <mailto:dporritt@mail.smu.edu>  David 
To: Pianotech <mailto:pianotech@ptg.org>  
Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2005 8:07 AM
Subject: RE: Modern Tone
 
Joe:
 
Your "tin can" comment below is close, but no cigar.  We have 10
practice rooms reserved for piano majors with 10 Steinways (5 Ms, 4Ls
and a B)  The rooms are tin cans.  If you can imagine a room with a B
that can hold the B, a bench and a small to medium sized student.  How
do you get a sound that isn't too loud?  I have encouraged students to
invest in some kind of hearing protection.  Generally they do leave the
short lid closed with the music desk sitting on top of the piano.  In
spite of the fact that this makes the music awkwardly high, it's better
than going deaf before lunch.  I have steamed the hammers (doesn't last)
I've fabric softened the hammers (doesn't last and causes the hammers to
loose their shape) needled the hammers (really nothing lasts).  These
pianos are played very hard and in a room about 5% of the size room
these pianos were made to fill.  In our case at least it's not the
pianos, but the rooms.  
 
All our rooms do have walnut paneling and in the next year there is to
be some acoustic modifications made to them.  The goal is to reduce
volume in the rooms and cut down sound transfer between the rooms.
(Right now we have a lot of Mozart/Liszt collaborations that you don't
want to hear!)  
 
When you think practice rooms, remember that these are often really nice
pianos in extremely small rooms!
 
dp
 
David M. Porritt
dporritt@smu.edu
 

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