At 09:45 -0500 23/1/08, Erwinspiano at aol.com wrote:
>... I suspect that pianos are made differently for the European
>palate or your expectations of tone & power are entirely different.
>Viva la difference
> Many of usÊon this list as you know have been working with newer
>designs to prolong tonal capabilities, soundboard longevity & create
>new tonal envelopesÊwithout the destruction of wood cells produced
>by over drying panels before the ribs are glued on. (C.C. Methods)
>Apparently you all have figured that out how to defeat that years
>ago so boards never need changing in Europe or your idea of what
>consitutes fine has a different definition than we have here.
Dale, you've got the wrong end of the stick! As I wrote in my reply
to David Love, I am all for putting in a new soundboard if the value
of the piano warrants it and I wish there were a thriving tradition
of proper restoration in England. I am not too familiar with
practices in neighbouring European countries but they'd have a job to
beat compete for low quality with English standards today, which is a
great shame.
When the spring comes I shall be fitting new soundboards in two grand
pianos and you will hear the results.
> SOÊÊby Yankee definition & by the lack of tone we see in a flat
>boards & the improvements we can createÊbuilding new R.C. boards &
>R.C. & supported boards, there is an entire world of tone that is
>waiting to be discovered by the World at large.
Well I've read so many messages on this list about rib-crowned and
supported boards as though it was something new, when I can see
nothing different between this and the traditional English method
that was practised from about 130 years ago. I can remember well
very early in my career coming across American Steinway grands with
the dead singing octaves (what I call the flute section) and this and
other really shoddy characteristics of these pianos led me always to
avoid them. I have described the English method, which is outlined
in Wolfenden's book and would like someone to explain _precisely_
what you meean with all your CCs and RCs and RCSs. If Terry Farrell,
for example thinks a 15ft radius on the unstrung crown is not
exaggerated, I am to take it that his board will be CC, for to be
sure it will be compressed if he ever gets it anywhere near flat.
There's far too much jargon used here and far too many ideas
presented as the very latest thing when they're nothing of the kind.
If I with all my experience get confused with all the unnecessary
acronyms and fake jargon, goodness knows what the ordinary list
subscriber must be making of it.
JD
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