[CAUT] bechstein opinions sought

[Jeff Tanner]

On Jun 26, 2007, at 3:19 PM, John Minor wrote:

> I have a private customer who has asked me a few questions about  
> Bechsteins, and I have minimal experience with these. I'd be  
> interested in hearing opinions on the following:
>
> How do Bechsteins compare with Steinway(9')?

They're different.  Completely different kind of sound and feel.  I  
like them very much, with the exception of one problem I've dealt  
with that seems to be a Bechstein thing.

I have one private customer with a Bechstein E (9'), circa 1978.   
Other than single bass strings popping lately, it's a nice piano.   
One other customer has a grand in the 6' or so range.  It is much  
older and needs a complete restringing.  We break strings all the  
time on it.  Not a good piano to judge the make by.  I tuned a small  
newer grand down on the coast several years ago and liked it very  
much.  I'm sorry, I can't remember the model number of the last two.   
I also tuned a big older upright a few years ago that was quite nice.

With the exception of the small grand on the coast, and I can't  
remember about it, string breakage is a problem on all of the  
Bechsteins I've tuned, and I am always scared to death the next  
string will break before I can get the pitch settled.  Except the  
newer small grand, I had string breakage while tuning all three of  
the other pianos, including the upright.  Bearing in mind, they are  
all older, but I don't have that problem with Steinways, or Henry  
Millers for that matter.  The only difficulty I remember about the  
small grand on the coast was that I didn't own a #1 tuning tip at the  
time, and I found tuning the small pins with a #2 tip odd feeling.  I  
do like the feel of the open faced pinblock, and tend to prefer  
tuning any pinblock system without pin bushings anyway.

I might would be somewhat concerned about whether their wood curing  
process is suitable for the American climate.  I was once told  
Bechstein didn't take the American climate into consideration when  
seasoning its wood.  But I have no idea if that was a credible  
statement.

I do know that with the model E, at least, the only way to install a  
Dampp Chaser system is below the beams because of the odd network of  
beams under there.

I hear the Samick/Bechstein marriage has been good for both  
companies.  I do have one client who has a brother who works for  
Bechstein in Berlin.  Incidentally, that client has a Samick, FWIW -  
but they are not pianists.

Jeff






Jeff Tanner, RPT
University of South Carolina



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