Soundboard Installation & MC

[Farrell]

"In 1900, Richard Gertz developed a system, exclusively for Mason & Hamlin, that would permanently preserve the original power and tone of all Mason & Hamlin pianos throughout the life of the piano."

I think it was my 6th grade english teacher that taught me to refrain from the use words like "all". I have since learned to refrain from phrases such as "permanently preserve" and "throughout the life". Read that sentence above. That is a pretty powerful statement. It states that the Gertz system will PERMANENTLY PRESERVE the original power and tone of ALL their pianos THROUGHOUT THE LIFE of the piano. They are stating that no M&H will ever lose the original power and tone - EVER (well, maybe after being buried in the dump for a few years).

I really love Mason and Hamlin pianos. I think they are top-notch. But this is a crock.

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2002 12:56 PM
Subject: Re: Soundboard Installation & MC


> Delwin D Fandrich wrote:
> 
> >
> > > I suppose if you flat ribbed it and dried the bajeezers out of it, the rim
> > just might help to hold a bit of crown - at least until it got off the
> > showroom floor!
> >
> > If the rim actually did support crown you'd never see a M&H with a flat
> > board!
> 
> Why not let Mason and Hamlin speak for themselves on this matter ?
> 
> http://www.masonhamlin.com/crown/crown.html
> 
> The link above points to M&H 's current web page which I have to assume reflects
> their current assesment of this subject matter. The page contains a nice
> explanation of their system and the reasoning behind it, good graphics help to
> illustrate their point.
> 
> 
> > Wood--primarily the spruce used in the soundboard system--simply has too
> > much compliance and is to susceptible to long-term creep for the rim to have
> > any real function in sustaining crown.
> >
> > Del
> 
> --
> Richard Brekne
> RPT, N.P.T.F.
> Bergen, Norway
> mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
> http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html
> 
>