[CAUT] New Upright Pianos

[Barbara Richmond]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for your opinion and taking the time to write.  I started off my life as a technician working for a Steinway dealer, too.  When I was on staff at a university with too much to do, I have to admit that I appreciated the quick response of Yamahas to service and tuning.  As far as what instrument is more musical, the pianists on staff at the school have to decide that.  

My concern for the current Steinway uprights would be the center pinning issue and in what condition (how much lacquer) the hammers would have.  Can anyone speak to these concerns?   

Thanks,

Barbara

PS  I own a Steinway grand--an old A, rebuilt.  S&S would probably say it wasn't really a Steinway since it doesn't have all New York parts, but it's pretty swell, anyway.  :-)


----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jeff Tanner 
  To: College and University Technicians 
  Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 4:06 PM
  Subject: Re: [CAUT] New Upright Pianos




  On Feb 10, 2007, at 9:30 AM, Barbara Richmond wrote:


    Greetings all:


    While we're on the subject, a friend asked me to compare Yamaha U-3s with Steinway URs.  Uh, I don't even know what a Steinway UR is, just that I usually try to avoid Steinway uprights in general (but maybe they've improved lately!).


  I cut my teeth on Steinway 45s (or 1098s or whatever they are).  Once you learn how to work with them, or at least accept them, they're much easier to appreciate.  But avoiding them simply because you'd rather tune a Yamaha because it's easier isn't giving the Steinway much of a chance out of the starting gate.  And don't expect it to be like tuning a Yamaha or a Kawai, or a Boston or a Walter, or a Baldwin, because any of those, it isn't.  You have to accept the instrument for what it is and work with it.  Yes.  Steinway verticals can be aggravating to tune.  Some, more so than others, and especially when they're new.  But once you put that front board back on, take off your technician's hat and put on your musician's hat, it is a much different story.  All that noise somehow turns into a reliable, very stable, and pretty decent sounding musical instrument.

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