Stanwood, was: Advice needed on Bechstein Concert Grand

[David Love]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Brekne" <richard.brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: "PTG" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: July 05, 2002 3:03 AM
Subject: Re: Advice needed on Bechstein Concert Grand


this looks like a very interesting job for Stanwood

Do you remember the old TV show.  "This looks like a job for Superman".  The
Stanwood concepts have achieved a sort of mytery-magical-guru like status.
I was responding to that.  The concepts are not totally new, though the
approach might be.  Neither are they inaccesible to the average Joe working
on pianos out there.  Analyzing the action geometry should be a standard
protocal in any action job.  David S. has provided a method for doing that.
Learning how the hammer weight relates to the front weight, keeping inertia
under control, and weigh-off with the balance weight system can be done
without a lot of trouble or investment.  Applying the concepts simply takes
reading the articles he has published in the journal plus a little thought
and planning.

That being said, I thought it was a bit beyond the scope of the job in this
case.

David Love




 David Love wrote:

>Why does this problem require Stanwood???  No offense to David, I have the
>greatest respect for his contributions.  But the concepts aren't voodoo or
>witchcraft.

Nobody said it they were.

>I'm not even sure how you come to that conclusion given the
>descriptions of the problems with this particular piano.  The action is too
>light probably with low inertia.

You accuse me of jumping to conclusions and then make this whopper in the
next
sentence ???

> Given the limitations of the budget (work
>must be accomplished in one day), and everything else needed, addressing
>the
>weight issue will not probably be possible.  You could add some clips to
>the
>shanks to increase the strike weight a bit, and it would be easy to undue
>if
>this criticism was the particular taste of this pianist.  But the piano
>would probably be best served by Roger's suggestions, or by Joe's which was
>to give them the Steinway.
>
>David Love
>

Before jumping all over me Dave... you might read what was written. I simply
said it would be interesting to see the results of such a proceedure,
especially given some recent discussions. I didnt get into any costs
analysis,
time discussions, or feasablitiy studies... I even directly suggested it was
perhaps an unlikely route. I also avoided (deliberatly) offering this
comment
as advice per se.

shhesssh.


RicB.

>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Richard Brekne" <richard.brekne@grieg.uib.no>
>To: "PTG" <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Sent: July 04, 2002 12:04 PM
>Subject: Re: Advice needed on Bechstein Concert Grand
>
>
>
>
> Hi Bill
>
>On the surface of things... this looks like a very interesting job for
>Stanwood. Perhaps you will not go that route, but in light of a few recent
>threads about hammers, their hardness, and how these are sensed at the key
>by
>the fingers... combined with other voicing and playablitity concerns.....
>it
>would be darned interesting to see Stannwoods best done and have a look at
>the
>results seen from both yours and the pianists perspectives.
>
>Otherwise I can say that my feeling about Bechsteins is that they can very
>easily get too bright sounding, and when they do they seem to me to take on
>a
>bit of an empty hollow crashy tone. I like to keep them on the soft side...
>requiring that  a pianist really smacks the key to get any really bright
>colour.
>
>JMV
>
>RicB
>Richard Brekne
>RPT NPTF
>Griegakadamiet UiB


Richard Brekne
RPT NPTF
Griegakadamiet UiB