1098...pfft.. only one number away from a 1099

Kent Swafford kswafford@earthlink.net
Wed Aug 29 12:58 MDT 2001


On 8/29/01 10:43 AM, "Ed Sutton" <ed440@mindspring.com> wrote:

> This is your opportunity to become THE EXPERT on 1098's! They need your love
> and understanding.  Reach out to them with your heart, and a year from now
> you'll be telling us how to tune them in 35 minutes!
> Ed S.

I wish I had written this.

At the UMKC Conservatory the practice rooms have a mix of Steinway 1098s,
Yamaha U1s, and Boston UP118s (not counting the practice rooms with grands).

The piano majors will practice on 1098s, but will practice on the U1s and
the Bostons only if there is no alternative. I have a hard time bad-mouthing
the 1098s.

We have 2 dozen or so 1098s, all purchased in 1979 when the Performing Arts
Center was built. I can remember struggling a bit at first with these
pianos, but really, if you try different techniques, you'll very soon hit
upon a way of tuning these things that works for you, and soon a 1098 tuning
will seem no different from any other tuning. Promise.

Kent Swafford



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