New Petrof 210 review

[Erwinspiano at aol.com]

Ric
  Good report.  Did they do any thing about the funky way  they set up the 
action?
  Dale:

Hi  folks

Just back from a very successfull Nordic Piano Convention  2006.  Many 
highlights to be sure. Roger Jolly did a phenomenal job  with his 
seminar.  But here I just wanted to submit a quick review of  the new 
Petrof 210 grand.

Many of you know I have this love / hate  affair with Petrofs.  This new 
model is definatly going to make me  move in the direction of the former 
and away from the later.  Several  interesting new bits for Petrof in 
addition to a clearly three or four  notch climb in basic quality control 
issues.  The instrument takes  into use some of the design issues 
discussed frequently on this  list.  A full sized cutoff bar and the 
employment of the fish are  included.  The soundboard is tapered in 
Steinway like fashion but  with the goal of having the thickest part 
under the long bridge at all  times.  In addition the ribs are machined 
such that they are thickest  directly under the long bridge. There is a 
<<tension  regulator/collector>> installed in the form of a turnbuckle 
that  connects the belly rail to the plate at the pinblock between the 
bass  tenor break. Individually tied strings are also a change. I'm sure 
there  is much more that I should include, but perhaps Kjell or one of 
the other  fellows on hand may pipe in with some more details.

The sound of this  piano was curiously very much akin to the kind of 
sound I was picking up  from the Overs piano, and to a lesser degree the 
Nossaman B. Especially in  the higher treble area.  In contrast to the 
kind of bell like klang  that Steinways functioning at their best 
attain,  I would describe  the high treble in these three as being more 
<<chime>>  like.  It is a particularly beautiful characteristic in my 
opinion. I  wonder however, how this will be accepted in a world that 
seems to have  decided it likes the Steinway picture.  For myself... I 
love variety  and hope for its success as I hope very much for the 
success of the Overs  endeavor.

I cant help tho thinking of many comments I have from  teachers, students 
and visiting pianists about our CF 111. This is the  most beautiful 9 
foot Yamaha I've ever run into and one of the nicest all  around concert 
grands I've seen.  Yet nearly everyone who plays on it  sees it as 
limited in terms of what kind of music it is appropriate  for.  And they 
nearly all point to the sound of the last two and a  half octaves. Its 
sound goes off in another direction entirely... and I at  the moment lack 
a colorful descriptive to offer... but it is clear and  resonant in a 
very different fashion then Steinways are thats for  sure.

Anyways... for my part... Petrofs have jumped a couple hacks up  the 
ladder in quality and musicality.  It is my understanding they  are going 
to employ most of these design modifications to each of present  grand 
models and that this process will be complete in the next couple  years. 
Petrof seems committed to entering the higher quality market with a  
classic central European sound clearly coloured by the sum of these new  
(for them) design issues.  I for one applaud their effort in this  regard

Cheers


 
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