voicing on M&H

[Delwin D Fandrich]

JIMRPT wrote:

> List;
>  In this debate about factory vs individual tech voicing and their respective
> abilities, there is at least one thing we need to keep in mind.  When the
> voicers/tone regulaters work at the factory they are striving for that "great
> middle ground" where the piano sounds 'acceptable' to the largest number of
> prospective clients wherever that piano may be shipped.

True, to a point. They are usually trying to voice to a "tone standard" that exists
somewhere in the factory. It might even have been tuned once or twice in the last decade.



> Factory voicers/tone
> regulaters are not, and don't have the time, trying to get any individual
> piano sounding the 'best' it can sound.  In any event that "best sound" is
> absolutely relative to the surroundings of the instrument and to the use it
> will ultimately be put.

Again, true only to a point. Each factory voicer, just like every field technician has
his/her strengths and limitations. Just like 20 field technicians can go into the same
voicing class and come out with at least 25 different voicing techniques, so it is with
factory voicers. Some follow directions, some don't. Some do it well, some don't.

As well, some piano designs require far more voicing than do others. I'm still of the
opinion that any piano that requires extensive voicing after final assembly has some
serious design and/or assembly problems that need to be addressed. Traditionally, however,
factories have relied on the voicer to cover for these problems.



>   So when dealing with factory/mass voicings vs tech/individual voicing both
> can be right for their circumstances and one is not needfully better or worse
> than the other.  Any 'Fine' quality instrument can be improved in voicing as
> it comes from the factory to any given showroom.  This is the nature of the
> beast and not an indicator of respective, or relative, skill.
>   What we should look for is a set of hammers that are evenly voiced and that
> can be brought up or down, widened or narrowed,  as the needs may be at any
> given point.
>   Don't cast stones, accept the hammer tone as it is or voice them to suit
> yourself or the client.
> Jim Bryant (FL)

Agreed. It should be the function of the field technician to take an already acceptable
piano and tailor it moderately to suit the individual tastes of the new owner once the
piano is set up in his specific environment. Wholesale changes should not be promised or
expected. It has always bothered me when a sales person (or sometimes a technician) tells
a potential owner to not worry if the sound of the new Matchless Model GLTZ doesn't suit
them at all here on the showroom floor, the piano can always be voiced to suit after
delivery. Maybe, maybe not. Usually not.

Regards,

Del