Rib crowning & compression failure

[David Love]

I don't think anybody said that.  Steinway pianos are beautiful
instruments when the soundboards hold up well, as are many compression
crowned instruments.  But, as someone who works on many Steinway pianos,
frequently there is failure at the soundboard level and as I've learned
to listen for it, I notice it much more.  As I understand it,
compression crowning is a difficult thing to produce with consistency.
The variables that contribute to the success of strict compression
crowning are just too difficult to control.  That's why, if you go into
a Steinway dealership, you hear some pianos that are wonderful, but many
that are disappointing.  I have a customer who recently spent many
months looking for a Steinway B.  He visited a number of dealers, saw
countless pianos, rejected all but one that he ultimately decided
produced a tone that excited him.  It was not a high percentage.  And
even with that one, there are some deficiencies he is starting to hear.
While some of the rejections may very well have been due to poor
preparation, some of the problems were clearly soundboard related.  I
have found this to be true not only of New York Steinways but also the
often considered higher standard of Hamburg Steinways.  Recently, a
technician colleague of mine went to Europe with a group of
professor/musicians representing a major west coast university in search
of a Hamburg D for their concert stage.  They viewed many pianos, most
of which they rejected.  Why such variation and inconsistency?  It's
more than just voicing or personal taste.  I think the endeavor to find
a more consistent and reliable way to produce a piano is an important
one.  I personally appreciate the efforts, and risks I might add, of
those who are willing to consider a different approach to build
something better, or, at least, more reliable and consistent.  It would
be far easier for them to just abide by the status quo.  All the answers
may not yet be there, but it is not without substantial personal
investment that they do this.  And, agree or disagree, I think that
should be recognized and applauded.         

David Love
davidlovepianos@comcast.net 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On
Behalf Of Bec and John
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 7:22 PM
To: Pianotech
Subject: Re: Rib crowning & compression failure

Hi Ric,

>  And it is Steinway specifically (curiously enough) and not the CC 
> board in general that bears the greatest brunt of this affront.

If I hadn't ever seen or heard a Steinway piano before joining this 
list I would have thought they were the worst pianos ever, and not just 
regarding soundboard issues! I would then have to conclude the pianists 
who like them are just fools/deceived and know nothing about pianos. I 
would then question their musical talent/ability. In the end I would 
have to say that pianists who like Steinways are bad musicians or at 
least good musicians who somehow don't know enough about what they do 
to notice they're playing on a bad instrument.

:-)

- John

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