The Nossaman Steinway (was rebuilders..)

[Erwinspiano@aol.com]

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=20
David
  Very Very well said. It's a keeper
    Thank you
   Dale Erwin

=20
It seems to me that  one problem here is that it is difficult to define what=
=20
a genuine Steinway  actually is.  Aside from the inherent lack of uniformity=
=20
that exists from  piano to piano, is it a piano from 1920 that happened to c=
ome=20
out with a  fairly decently matched soundboard to scale and an extremely=20
light and soft  hammer to match it, or is it a 1990 piano that was horribly=20
matched and had  hammers so full of lacquer that the hammer was more plastic=
 than=20
felt, or was  it the 1980 piano that happened to be using Renner parts out o=
f=20
the  factory?  And this is before we=E2=80=99re even talking about the areas=
 of the =20
piano that we all know commonly fail: fifth octaves that sound more like cla=
ck =20
than bing, basses that sound like thud, duplex scales that zing and sizzle,=20=
=20
transitions between tenor and bass that just seem like they just can=E2=80=
=99t be =20
coming from the same piano, actions that weigh off at 65 =E2=80=93 70  grams=
.  The phrase =E2=80=9C
killer octave=E2=80=9D didn=E2=80=99t come from our perception  of a Story a=
nd Clark.  =20
What I see from the  rebuilders who are making modifications is that they ar=
e=20
not departing from  the low tension scale characteristics that are typical o=
f=20
these instruments,  though they are making small modifications to tweak and=20
improve the  transitions and sometimes they are adding third bridges (as man=
y=20
Steinways had  in the past) to better maintain log progressions through the=20
sections.   They are not altering the hard bent rim which helps to accommoda=
te a=20
fairly  thin panel typical of these instruments, though they are adding some=
=20
bracing  to beef up where the frame is somewhat weak.  They are designing =20
soundboard assemblies to better match the low tension scales so that opposin=
g =20
springs are more compatible as they were probably intended to be.  They  are=
=20
designing assemblies with new rib scales and shaping elements in order to  p=
roduce=20
more predictable and dependable results and correct weaknesses in  various=20
areas in both the treble and bass (please don=E2=80=99t tell me that an O ha=
s  a lovely=20
bass until you=E2=80=99ve heard one with a modified bass bridge and  float).=
   They=20
are putting softer hammers on these (which produce  plenty of volume) to mat=
ch=20
the scale and panel/rib assembly and are much more  characteristic of the=20
Steinway hammers from the 1920s, not hard and heavy  Renner or Abel hammers=20=
as we=20
are so often seeing, or the relatively  unpredictable and lacquer driven=20
hammers of recent times.  They are  producing pianos with a warm tone that h=
ave a=20
natural pianissimo as well as a  forte and might very well be more aligned w=
ith=20
the overall tonal  characteristics of the early Steinways (before the boards=
=20
failed) than a lot  of what I see and hear now out of the factory or the sho=
ps=20
of some  rebuilders.  =20
All in all, who is to  say that these modifications don=E2=80=99t, in fact,=20=
help to=20
capture more predictably  the sound (without the bugs) that made Steinway wh=
at=20
it was originally  intended to be and that we have all but forgotten about=20
through there darker  periods or through the more recent attempt to become t=
he=20
Yamaha=E2=80=94bigger,  brighter and louder=E2=80=94of the west.   When aski=
ng what a genuine =20
Steinway is, I think one first has to look at the fundamental aspects of rim=
 =20
and scale and go from there.  It might just be that those two things,  when=20
all things are taken into consideration, narrow your reasonable choices =20
considerably.   The characteristic of the genuine Steinway sound is  hard if=
 not=20
impossible to identify because among Steinways, the sound varies  considerab=
ly=20
with many failures in all parts of the scale not to mention the  hammers (pa=
y a=20
visit your local dealer and try a dozen or so and  compare).  As someone who=
=20
embraces these modifications, I am not looking  for a non-Steinway sound per=
 se.=20
 I am looking for the best aspects of  the sound produced by that type of=20
scale in that type of structure and I want  the best possible sound and bala=
nce=20
in all areas of the scale.  If it  takes these modifications to achieve that=
=20
predictably and consistently, then  I=E2=80=99m all for it.  To me, it=E2=
=80=99s the person who=20
wants the big, bright, ear  popping percussive sound that they identify as=20
Steinway who is not looking for  a =E2=80=9Cgenuine Steinway=E2=80=9D.  They=
 should be shopping=20
for a Yamaha (and I mean  that with all due respect to Yamaha=E2=80=94it=E2=
=80=99s just=20
another  choice).=20
=20
David Love
davidlovepianos@comcast.net =20






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