Grotrian Cymbalese

Ric Brekne ricbrek@broadpark.no
Mon, 26 Sep 2005 22:15:32 +0200


David I ;

Gotta say I am impressed by your post. I myself agree very much with 
your run through of things. Nuf on that.

Obviously this rivets bit has a few people scratching their heads.  But 
I still have to stand by that as its exactly what it sounds like to me.  
But let me clarify.  We are not talking about how such a cymbal sounds 
when banged hard.  Thats hardly what I'd call sizzeling.  Nope... its 
how the sound of a riveted cymbal sounds as its dying out... that long 
simmering echoish sizzzzz...  Thats what it sounds like to me.  Exactly 
what happens if you take your finger nail and lightly tap a riveted 
cymbal. 
And I agree with you... I dont really want that kind of sound either. So 
I would have no problem with braiding off like a Steinway. That said, 
"Mr Grotrian"  evidently likes his sound as thats the way they build 
them.  They seem to want as much contribution as is possible to design 
into all non speaking lengths.  Definantly looking for a different sound 
then other makes.

For anyone interested, there was a whole series of posts back and forth 
a few years back under the thread Grotrian Cymbalese.

https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/1999-November/054265.html
https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/1999-November/054308.html
https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/1999-November/054355.html

Many good posts were written by lots of folks.

Cheers
RicB

Clearly no Grotrian Steinweg is going to have a sound like a cymbal with rivets.   

Ric said sort of like...meaning to me a little bit, kind of like...

If we think about what the Baldwin SD10 sounded like at the high end without any 
string felt in the tuning pin area...that is probably what Ric is describing.   When Baldwin 
started doing that, I'm not sure...But that is not the sound I want on that piano and I will 
always get some understring felt in there and/or stringing braid.   I wouldn't hesitate to 
mute off the bass, tenor section backscale of a Grotrian either.   That isn't the kind of 
sound I want.   How many pianos have that unmuted backscale?   If this is Grotrian's 
usual method they must have been looking for a different sound.   

David I.

PS   Hopefully Conrad, you haven't been storing the flamesuits in New Orleans?  



This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC