Yamaha GB1

[David Love]

It's an uphill battle.  You wouldn't think so, but it is.  People like what
they are used to and habits are hard to break.  I recently was called on to
look at an S&S D for someone (concert level pianist) that she didn't like.
Something about it just wasn't quite right, she said.  She had two of them.
When I got to the pianos it was before she had returned home and I tried
them both before she arrived.  One of them was unusual for many of the
Steinway D's I hear.  The tone was clear and balanced, no leakage, no
distortion, nice pianissimo but adequate power, basically, one of the nicest
D's I'd ever heard.  The other one was percussive and bright, some splatter
in the killer octave, distortion in the tenor at forte levels, loud and
louder throughout.  You guessed it, the one she had complaints about was the
one I liked and she wanted me to make it sound like the other one.  After
two hours of note by note, section by section, piece by piece comparison
exploring the language of tone in detail, her view completely flipped and
we're now talking about a rebuild on the one she thought she liked.  During
the conversation it became clear that the more compromised piano was what
she was used to hearing when she concertized which contributed heavily to
her developed set of standards.  

It can be a very awkward situation when rebuilding pianos on spec and having
to make decisions about what makes a good sounding instrument versus what
most people are expecting and will probably be easier to sell.  Not that I'm
confused about my own developing philosophy or the path I prefer to take,
but the decision can be stressful.  

David Love
davidlovepianos at comcast.net 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Ron Nossaman
Sent: Sunday, March 26, 2006 9:49 AM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: Yamaha GB1

> Hi Ron,
> 
> I'd love to know the criteria that you consider important.
> 
> Regards,
> Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T.


Hi Don,
I don't think it's anything I haven't said before. Besides the 
usual wish for a good feeling solid and responsive action, 
it's the sound. I want a rich and detailed bass, aurally 
undetectable crossover, a low tenor that doesn't honk, a 
killer octave that doesn't fall apart at higher attack levels, 
a clear treble with good sustain and without falseness. I want 
front duplexes that don't whistle and squeal, and a tonal 
balance that sounds like all registers belong in the same 
piano. I want it to play softly, should anyone consider it 
necessary, with control. A good broad usable dynamic range 
that doesn't get ugly anywhere within it's range, and an 
overall tone that doesn't clang like almost everything out 
there does these days. I don't much care about absolute power, 
but richness of sound. Complexity and character rather than 
volume. It's the same shopping list I have in mind when I get 
to rebuild a piano with modifications.

The new Mason & Hamlins started out looking like they were 
headed in this direction, but they have since hardened the 
hammers, and sound much like everything else now. The Walters 
also have good potential, but they're hanging way too hard a 
hammer on them too.

One opinion,
Ron N