[CAUT] Snarly bass, was RE: Rubenstien Piano

[Anne Acker]

Much late 18th and  most 19th century piano music PRESUMES a snarly bass.     Of course, on a modern piano, the bass is too loud, so it can become unpleasant.   You might try a slightly flatter  and softer hammer to eliminate some of those partials. Steinway hammers, e.g.,  are relatively pointed, giving more partials.   

AA


 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Andrew Anderson <andrew at andersonmusic.com>
> Lacquer on the hammers works quite well.
> 
> YMMV
> Andrew Anderson
> 
> At 04:47 AM 3/4/2007, you wrote:
> >Hello!
> >
> >I was wondering, what is it that makes the bass 
> >in some pianos (Steinway D's are usually good 
> >examples) sound snarly? I mean those very 
> >pronounced ringing high partials at forte, which 
> >some like and others find annoying.
> >Soundboard construction? Strings? Anything else?
> >
> >
> >Calin Tantareanu
> ><http://calin.haos.ro/>http://calin.haos.ro
> >--------------------
> >
> >
> >----------
> >From: caut-bounces at ptg.org 
> >[mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Andrew Anderson
> >Sent: duminicã, 4 martie 2007 03:59
> >To: College and University Technicians
> >Subject: Re: [CAUT] Rubenstien Piano
> >
> >As a Sauter dealer, I was in that same exhibit 
> >room and happened to notice the piano (kind of 
> >hard not too).  The tenor bass is incredibly 
> >clean.  He didn't choose to make it snarly like 
> >Steinway goes for.  My wife played it and it did 
> >have decent sustain and sound throughout the 
> >registers.  Definitely in the American tonal 
> >tradition with a much cleaner bass tenor than 
> >you usually encounter in an American piano maybe 
> >a little brighter in the treble.  The bass is 
> >incredible in the low notes.  That low C almost 
> >sounds like a big chopper, it tended to dominate the whole room.
> >He is very approachable and it was fun to crawl 
> >under the piano and discuss his belly 
> >design.  His next project is apparently going to 
> >be an 8' grand piano.  He mentioned that a 
> >Steinway artist played it and sniffed that it 
> >was weak in the bass (no snarl).  Amusing to the 
> >technicians among us--a Steinway would be rather 
> >hard pressed to produce that kind of volume.
> >  ...
> >
> >Andrew Anderson
> >
> >>
> 


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