Rib crowning & compression failure

[Bec and John]

Hi Dave,

It seems my slight sarcasm was missed :) I've heard lots of negative 
comments about Steinways on this list, of course I've also heard 
positive ones. I was just making the point that some pianists like 
them, and some of them very great. I was never a particularly big fan 
of Steinways up until I got mine. Still I'm not enamoured with them in 
general, and if I had to choose I'd say I have almost always preferred 
Mason & Hamlin's.

Though my absolute favourite recording of a piano is Rubenstein's later 
(mid-late 60's) recording of Chopin's nocturnes. I'm not referring to 
Rubenstein's playing (which is nice, however), but the piano itself. I 
loved it before I knew it was a Steinway. I've still never heard a 
better recording of a piano.

- John


> John:
>
> I understand your confusion here.  I don't think Steinway makes bad
> pianos.  Most here would agree with that statement.  My problem with
> them - and my tendency to denigrate them inappropriately - is the fact
> that they are not what they could be, nor what they claim to be.  It's
> natural to claim to be the best.  That's fine. The implication we get
> from their marketing and their representatives (at least the ones I've
> met) is that they are the "only" piano.  I have heard many say that all
> other instruments are just "commercial junk".  That doesn't match my
> reality.
>
> Secondly, Steinway has some wonderful technicians.  People who know 
> what
> a good piano is and what is should be.  Still, marketing people 
> dominate
> the company.  If that were not so, you wouldn't hear the "largest
> sounding board" hype when the technicians know that a sounding board 
> can
> be too large.  We hear of the "longest speaking length of the bass
> strings" when the technicians know well that it would be better to have
> a shorter speaking length string with a longer back scale.
>
> I have no doubt that Steinway could improve their good pianos.  They
> have the expertise to do that.  My irritation at them is not because
> they make bad pianos and the people who buy them are fools.  My
> irritation is that they could make much better pianos but they choose
> not to.
>
> Theodore Steinway was a brilliant innovator who made more progress in
> the development of the modern piano than anyone else and he did it 
> quite
> rapidly.  I believe he would turn over in his grave if he saw the
> developmental stagnation that his successors have maintained.  Steinway
> does not make "bad" pianos, but they have been the leaders of a century
> of developmental stagnation.
>
> End of rant!
>
> dave