Soundboard Thoughts (Kind of long)

[Danny Moore]

 >Del said:

> We say we want the piano to "sound like it did when it was new." The trouble
> with all of this lovely sentiment is -- we don't have a clue as to what it
> sounded like when it was new.

Stephen Birkett wrote:

> We don't have to have been there to deduce the original character of
> something.<<snip>>
> 1. Board A is deteriorated and consequently the piano it's in is not sounding
> its best. Fix it, replace it, whatever it takes....
> 2. Board B is in perfect condition and, notwithstanding other considerations,
> ephermera that need replacing, the piano is presumably sounding as it did
> when new (more of less).
>
> The debate is really whether case 2. occurs.

Stephen, Del, List, et. al.:

I submit that the debate is really a matter of the personal preference of the
builder, rebuilder, customer, player, listener, whomever is involved.  There
are those who prefer the progressive sound of Rick Wakeman playing a 9' lucite
Yamaha, while others prefer the energy produced by baroque played on a vintage
instrument with historic tuning.

Does anyone doubt that Del and several other experienced designers we all know
can improve the design and engineering of virtually any piano they choose to
study?  Not likely!  Today's designers have not only 300 years of history to
draw from, but technology that was virtually unavailabe 20 years ago.

I like Del's statement "I didn't start replacing soundboards because I didn't
have anything better to do with my time.  It was because I was becoming
increasingly dissatisfied with the results of rebuilding pianos with the old
boards still in them."  I suspect his dissatisfaction was based on the sound of
the instrument after the rebuild.

I also suspect that Stephen has chosen to focus his expertise on historic
instruments, not because he thinks they are somehow objectively superior to
modern instruments, but because he likes the way they sound.

It is my suggestion that we admit the difference between personal preference
and design excelence.  One is subjective while the other is objective.  George
Jones has certainly sold more records than Luciano Pavarotti over a recording
career that spans almost 50 years.  Does that make him a "better" singer?

Personally, if I were absolutely forced to choose, I would have to pick Barbi
Benton over Marilyn Monroe.

Danny Moore
Houston Chapter