Rear Duplex Bars on Steinways:

[Robin Hufford]

Hello Bill,
     I have always accepted the right of any technician to do as he wished with a
given piano and I have repeatedly expressed this, or, at least, I thought I was
doing so.  I think my posts  indicate such, and I have never excluded the
possibility of improvements thereby.  Indeed, I find myself also informed from the
ideas in such discussions.
     What you quote from my post, at least the part you included in your answer,
should have, perhaps, been more clearly by myself.  I did not do so as I wished to
avoid additional controversy.   This part and the preceeding paragraph in my post,
were not commentary of any redesign efforts but, rather, of the preposterous claim,
recently repeated in a post under this thread, that what impedes willingness to
accept these "improvements", whether they be such or not, arises from a fear of any
new technical feature or new method.  Or, even more ridiculous, the idea that one
can be so overawed by some product as to consider it sacrosanct and from that
perspective  then assign it "character" in order to be relieved of the
responsibility of dealing with its flaws.  Need I make any further commentary on
such a view?
     I attempted to be circumspect in my criticism, as regards this point,
referring to it only obliquely and not identifiying the author.   Similarly, I
think,  I have so attempted in  speaking to other points except for the momentary
lapse of discretion when I fell into the same  pit of emotionality and sarcasm with
the recent post to John Hartman which I have so readily urged others to avoid.  In
fact, I must confess, I readily jumped into this pit but I just could not resist.
Oh well.
     Further reference was made in the last two paragraphs to several sentences of
the post which I was answering which claimed arrogance in those who think things
can be of such perfection they believe no improvements are possible.  I maintained
in my response, of which you quote but a part,  and continue to do so, that the
real arrogance can be found in people who believe others  must experience the world
exactly as they do and construct such fanciful, preposterous explanations to
explain away the lack of assent, when, in fact this lack assent may well be
explained away if for no other reason the natural variation in human perspective.
Indeed, in my opinion such demonstrates a level of emotional dependency on a given
idea to the extent that those with such a dependency  must seek these preposterous
answers to explain away the natural variation in human perspective.
     Of course, people should post their commentary freely in such matters - where
else but here?  Having done so, I can tell you there is a price to be paid, in the
petty animosities and distractions that result.  In general, there has been much
sarcasm and negative commentary whenever this subject has been brought up should
any other view but that of the redesigners express methods be voiced.     The
sugar-coated antagonism shown in comments of the post referred to above are a good
example,
     Thank you for the kind words and I think you are aware, already, of the regard
I have both for your opinions and skill in articulating them.
       I attach part of the post referred to here:

     "This stuff works on pianos, not just on Steinways, and has nothing whatsoever
to
do with reverential awe of any monolithic object.......
Progress in anything requires not only adding to existing knowledge, but leaving
behind
past truths that have proven not to be the benefit they were once thought
to be. This is difficult for most of us because we have invested a lot of
blood and sweat into trying to learn to deal with these existing warts,
even to the point of assigning the least improvable of them the status of
"character" to relieve ourselves of further responsibility in fixing them.
But we find we can fix a lot of them by letting them go and replacing them
with something more mechanically and acoustically workable. This requires
an open mind and the willingness to evolve as new information becomes
available. That's the tough part. Focusing on one sacred relic to the
exclusion of all other conflicting evidence is not a growth attitude. "

Regards, Robin Hufford

Bill Ballard wrote:

> At 1:30 AM -0700 5/12/03, Robin Hufford wrote:
> >  .............Indeed, in my opinion,  this is a view worthy of real criticism
> >and, almost indignation,  as there are numerous self-serving implications
> >residing in this, the emotional utility of which I do not wish to go into but
> >which are readily obvious on a little reflection.   I, for one, do not find
> >myself assigning character to situations difficult of solution in a supposed
> >attempt to relive myself of, again, some supposed responsibilty to correct
> >them.  Nor do I find this characteristic of other technicians, although it may
> >well be characteristic of those who propose this for others.
>
> Robin,
>
> With all due respect, you've stated this position before. We on the
> list know how you feel on the subject. I for one think it's time you
> accept the fact that among the topics for discussion here, are
> modifications of the original design of pianos, most frequently
> Steinways. That frequency should not imply that Steinway is the only
> maker whose original designs deserve reviewing, it's simply a
> function of the preponderance of Steinways among all those pianos
> being rebuilt.
>
> Accepting that fact also means realizing that your lengthy positions
> on this matter aren't going to change what people do in the privacy
> of their own rebuilding shops, nor their readiness discuss on this
> list modifications, proposed or executed, to Steinway pianos. I learn
> more from the evolving discussions of ways in which *a piano* could
> be improved by judicious modification, than I do from yet another
> repetition of your positions.
>
> With all due respect to a fellow list member, who writes very well.
>
> Bill Ballard RPT
> NH Chapter, P.T.G.
>
> "No one builds the *perfect* piano, you can only remove the obstacles
> to that perfection during the building."
>      ...........LaRoy Edwards, Yamaha International Corp
> +++++++++++++++++++++
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