[CAUT] CAUT Digest, Vol 23, Issue 23

[Jim Busby]

Ed,

This may be a partial answer to a D I have. What size M&H was it?

Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Ed Sutton
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2010 7:15 AM
To: chris at csollidaypiano.com; caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT Digest, Vol 23, Issue 23

Chris-

I have played the big Mason & Hamlin with the carbon fiber shanks.

My sense was that it gave me more power and control than I usually have.

I felt the sound was brighter than I like. What surprised me was that within 
that brightness, there was a range of timbre that I could control easily. 
The clarity and promptness of attack reminded me, in an odd way, of playing 
a clavichord. This may be another way of saying the sustain begins sooner.

Bruce Clark said these qualities were definitely the result of the new 
action parts, the piano sounded different with wooden action parts. He also 
said the "edge" would be mellowed in a large hall, that he intended this to 
be a piano for a big auditorium.

My sense is that Bruce prefers a brighter sound than I like, or that this is 
his choice for M & H's in the showroom. He said an attempt to offer a choice 
of warmer voicing had not been well-received by dealers.

I really like the promptness of response in the carbon fiber shanks. I would 
hope that for me, and for smaller pianos and rooms, the sound can be 
mellowed.

Ed Sutton