[CAUT] Steinway "sound"

[Dale Erwin]

Hey Dr.
 Love it.  There is a 1920s 9 ft Chickering in original condition in a school close by with a sound that is really fascinating. Clear open, unique.  I would have given real money for the piano just to tweak and rent it out to hear it at concerts....that is...if...  it ever became available.  
  Ya know,I really enjoy the Steinway sound but I love so many really cultured piano voices that come my way, despite what the name may say on the fall board.  Just for fun my First choice for concert piano instruments I'd choose to hear if it was up to me, and not necessarily in this order but would definitely be An Overs, A Steingraeber an Erwins & Sons B, or a Stwy D we rebuilt, Cd 9 ft from 1941 at our college, Nossamans B from Rochester etc....You all get the idea and you have your favorites. Ones you have actually laid ears on.
  Good post

 

 

Dale S. Erwin
www.Erwinspiano.com
Custom restoration
Ronsen Piano hammers
Join the Weickert felt Revolution
209-577-8397
209-985-0990



 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Rembold <d_rembold at yahoo.com>
To: caut at ptg.org
Sent: Tue, Feb 15, 2011 12:29 pm
Subject: [CAUT] Steinway "sound"




Some years ago James Arledge did a blind hearing test for a pretty good-sized group of us techs at a PTG meeting in Nashville.  He had sampled notes from about a half-dozen pianos--C2, C4, and C6 if I remember correctly.  
 
The pianos he had sampled were a 1903 Chickering, an older rebuilt Steinway, a newer D, a Yamaha C6 and I think a Baldwin L.  All had been prepped and voiced pretty much equally, and James used his weighted key depressor to get a consistent attack on each note.
 
We were asked to listen and blindly select which one we thought would be the most ideal piano tone.
 
After a good half-hour of eliminations, we all selected unanimously--you guessed it--the Chickering.
 
DR



      
 
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