Hey Ric, List, I think the rest of the folks who were complaining would agree with this, but their point, I think, is that for the $$ S&S charges, one should reasonably expect more. I find now that when clients ask me, what piano would I choose, if I had to just pick one, sight unseen, that Kawai and Yamaha, not to mention S&S Hamburg, would easily be ahead of NY S&S. You just never know what you will get. I service a number of newer S&S and am pretty regularly disappointed, particular in the action, and the relative playability of the instrument. Yes, they are diamonds in the rough, but when one expects a diamond, they quickly turn to coal. Great pianos to rebuild, though. ;-] Best, William R. Monroe > Hi David, Tom and others > > David A. puts things about as well as they can be put me thinks. As I've > said on a number of occasions, I cant really speak too directly about the > NY variant, and David underlines this eloquently. Yet he turns around and > describes the NY instrument as rough diamonds. And in doing so the whole > discussion takes a turn in another direction which he equally eloquently > turns to himself. And I guess this is the kind of thing I personally have > been looking for in all this... a positive forward looking tact. It also > explains why the question Ron N puts so compellingly seems to contradict > the more damning criticisms that are also put forward in the mesh of all > this discussion about Steinways NY. And it more then satisfactorilly > takes care of my own head scratching about how Steinway could be doing so > very very well if the picture was indeed as bleak as it sometimes seems > here. .............................. > > Cheers > RicB > > > The reality is the entire world knows Steinway by the Hamburg > instruments; only the US knows them through the New York pianos; thus, > the iconic, legendary rep is in MOST cases deserved, because generally > Hamburg Steinways are among the best pianos in the world, and the actions > are well-made and well-balanced. The New York instruments' actions are a > different story, and you can't know how true this is, European, Asian, or > South American techs, because you have little or no personal experience > with the New York pianos, or perhaps with a highly tweaked and > retrofitted performance instrument. > > The standard of action ratios and final fabrication tolerances is a > different world between Hamburg and New York, and that's the truth. My > close colleagues and I have been scratching our heads and > yakking---bitching, really---about this disparity for 30 years. The way > I choose to frame it now, to myself and others, is this: I don't know > why the situation is what it is---I can't personally figure out the value > in it---but I accept it as how it is, and perceive new and newish > American Steinways as diamonds in the rough---ready to be polished and > finished into something beautiful. And they can be; it just takes a > little more money and attention. Like AMG and Mercedes: AMG takes the > finished product, and then tweaks and finishes it to their > standard---performance modification, performance enhancement, souping it > up, tweaking it out. > > Not a deficit, but a possibility. This way of thinking and seeing has > helped me to be less of a bitter old gossip, and more of a proactive > artisan. My clients like it better, too---a positive spin rather than a > negative, without lying to anyone. Half full, not half empty. > > Now for another half cup of coffee, and to work. > > Cheers---- > > David Andersen > Malibu, CA > > >
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC