On Feb 14, 2011, at 6:11 PM, David Love wrote: > Yes, we have been there and I think I knew what you were getting > at. At some risk I think there is a sound. It can vary some of > course, but I would characterize it generally as open and deriving > from a soundboard assembly that leans to the lighter side. The > rebuilds that I hear that really differ are not necessarily those > that employ different bellying methods (cc versus RC&S) but those > that vary the overall stiffness of the assembly by use large cutoff > bars, heavier rib scales, steeper grain angles and/or scale changes > which collectively tend to produce a less free and tighter sound. > Not a bad sound but a more controlled one in which the upper end > (fff) is more restricted. Now I think I better bow out and let the > retort’s fly. I think these comments are spot on. I don't have the experience to be able to tell what the soundboard changes do in isolation, as the "Frankensteinways" I have played have had additional changes as well, but the overall effect has been, for those I have played, as you describe. Calling it a more controlled sound with a more restricted high end is a good way to put it. As a pianist, it is as if you go from a race car to a luxury sedan. Maybe more comfortable and controllable, but less exciting and with less possibility of sudden change or big contrast. But I think you have to include a number of other factors in the so- called "Steinway sound" (maybe the late 20th century Steinway sound is more precise): characteristic front and back duplex; relatively high inharmonicity from the scale; lacquered hammers that are on the heavy side. All these together with the fairly light CC board tend to favor high partials at attack, depending how the voicing is set up. And that is where I hear a more or less characteristic sound that contrasts with other makes and models. Regards, Fred Sturm fssturm at unm.edu http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/FredSturm -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/caut.php/attachments/20110215/034d1c4c/attachment.htm>
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