Sound boards, regulation and voicing

antares antares@euronet.nl
Thu, 20 Jan 2005 20:47:52 +0100


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On 19-jan-05, at 17:54, Don wrote:

> Hi Andr=E9,
>
> Please find me two brand new NY Steinways that sound the identical.=20
> Then
> I'll choose the one I like better? *grin*.
>
> If offered two pianos I'd try them both--and pick the one I liked=20
> better.
> I'd prefer not to know the brand or the age.
>
> Only if I had to pick sight unseen would the age of an instrument=20
> become a
> factor.
>
> Wood is a funny material. No two pieces are the same. I think everyone
> would agree that the makers from 100 years ago had more good wood to=20=

> choose
> from--and perhaps no wood today is as good as the very best from 100=20=

> years
> ago.
>


Hi Don (how ya doin'),

I have encountered this issue time and again.
I stick with this idea about it :

Some instruments are rotten from the core, no doubt about that.
Most are more than OK.
The most 'balanced' ones are those manufactured by factories that have=20=

produced millions of instruments.

Most of the instruments coming from such a factory have something in=20
common : they are all about the same... they have their flaws, one is=20
better the other etc, but basically they are OK.

Let me tell you about this event :
I was for private lessons at the Yamaha Concert grand department in=20
1998, and one day my instructor, Mr Hosoya (the very best voicing tech=20=

at Yamaha), told me that he was not available for lessons the next day=20=

because he had to prepare some concert instruments for a 'selection'.
I immediately asked him whether it would be possible to play and listen=20=

to the instruments he had worked on after the 'selection' was over, to=20=

which he consented.
So the next day after, 5 o'clock he came to my work room and took me to=20=

the hall where the selection had taken place. and he told me that he=20
had worked on two instruments and "would I be able to pick them out=20
hahaha"................

There were 10 CFIII-s instruments and in just two minutes I had played=20=

them all.
Two of them were very beautiful, were regulated fabulously and sounded=20=

so very even, so I guessed those were the instruments he had worked on=20=

that day.
I was lucky, because Mr. Hosoya grunted and said "yes haha, those two I=20=

worked on today, domo arrigato gozai mas".
I bowed deeply and then asked him how it was possible within the Yamaha=20=

concert grand department that out of ten beautiful concert grands, two=20=

of them were absolutely stunning and the others were just great?

Mr. Hosoya then answered me that not all technicians are the same and=20
that he would give one a 7, another an 8, and yet another one maybe a=20
9, (on a scale of 10).

It only shows that, because of the differences between factory=20
technicians, all instruments prepared in a factory are different and I=20=

personally have felt, heard, seen it in the 4 factories I have received=20=

a training.
So why are they different? Indeed, because all people are different,=20
even under strict factory regulations.
In my personal perception instruments coming from factory so and so can=20=

be absolutely above average but at the same time they can vary in=20
quality on a scale from 5 to 10, generally speaking.

You still think it is  wrong or weird that instruments coming from the=20=

same factory are different?


friendly greetings from

Andr=E9 Oorebeek

Vita Dura Est


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