Real Customizing of a piano

[David Love]

Heavy rim and plate, lightweight soundboard and rib scaling, low tension
scale, softish hammer to go with it and the most important thing of all: the
correct fallboard decal.

David Love
davidlovepianos at comcast.net
www.davidlovepianos.com 
-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Fenton Murray
Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2008 12:11 AM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: Real Customizing of a piano

List,
 I'd like to throw out a question. I've now built 4 bellies myself.  
I have seen several Steinways that have been very highly modified. 
Consider a completely different soundboard design, scale design, a totally
different approach to hammer design and installation, to say nothing of
damper, action and key re-design. While these design changes all play a part
in bringing out a new voice to an old piano, I always am able to very
clearly hear a Steinway in there, the Steinway soul is still there, it's as
though it can be tweaked, but not changed (who'd want to?). Sooo, what makes
a Steinway sound like a Steinway? Did it Usta-B a Steinway, or is it still?
I think that it still very much is, more of the original timbre and tone
remains than is replaced.
Even the rim and plate are changed, what with treble dams and aliquot and
duplex mods, plate mounting, etc, etc. It seems that the design of
everything can be changed, and we still have the wonderful Steinway.
And why can no other piano be made to sound like one? (Dale, I'd like to
hear that Henry Miller with the B belly.)
Thank you, list, for taking my questions. I'll now take my answers off the
air.
 
None of this is meant to be pro or con design changes in vintage Steinways,
please, let's not go there.
Fenton