American& European attitudes toward recrown or replace

[Richard Brekne]

Hi Dale...  grin.. my post wasn't directed at anyone in particular... 
and most certainly not at you. You've got one of the most open minds 
amounst pianotechs I know, as your last note most eloquently revealed.  
I was really just soap boxing it in general  as is my want from time to 
time.  I'm just saying that a lot of the argumentation against this that 
or the other approach to fixing a soundboard or replacing one is based 
far too heavily on ones own perception of tone.  I think in Europe we 
have this kind of problem in reverse mode.  It can get stifling. And I 
could  easily argue that if one is first to charge roughly 10000 dollars 
for a soundboard fix... then one should have pretty darn good reasons 
for not replacing the board.  But again on the other hand... one should 
have pretty good darn reasons for whatever you decide on. 

Cheers
RicB


        Ric

        Ok Ok...Perhaps it was my can of worm statement  for the month
        Well it is just, my own,,, opinion based on my history  of
        practice. I do,
        as you may, know continue with an open mind. I did manage  to
        get my own
        Steinway B board out intact & am pondering the what to do  for
        fun question. But on
        a routine basis I probably would lose money. Can  somebody else
        here do this &
        report back. I don't have time to develop  more new protocols
        right now.
        Dale


    This is another one of those  in reality totally fascinating areas for
    discussion that sadly ends up  nearly always in folks gnashing at each
    other.  Gets into all kinds  of factors that end up being significant
    determinants respective to what  one concludes.... like what ones
    perception of musical sound is.  It  struck me the other day whilst
    reading some of the latest round of  Soundboard posts that it is not
    the
    world of pianists who are worst stuck  in their mold of Steinway
    worship.... no no no no no... They at least  appreciate on some
    level or
    another a vast huge ocean of musical  sound....even from the <<piano>>
    thingy.  But piano  technicians however.... my gawd in wholey
    hootville... what we don't  <<know>> absolutely and universally.  We
    routinely  enforce our own perceptions of what good tone is and
    isn't on
    pianists all  the time.  For example.... how many of you reacted
    negatively to that  recording of the old Pleyel Stéphane Collin put
    up a
    couple weeks back ?  Perhaps some of you think an old C melody
    saxophone
    sucks and a new Buffet  R-13 B-flat clarinet is ok ? :)

    Cheers
    RicB