Real Customizing of a piano

[Fenton Murray]

Up late, Dave? Actually, I have heard the decal make another piano sound 
like a Steinway.
Fenton
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos at comcast.net>
To: "'Pianotech List'" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2008 5:55 AM
Subject: RE: Real Customizing of a piano


> 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
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