[CAUT] Steinway selection

[David Love]

That would be our job but it's not that easy as a simple side by side comparison of two pianos would suggest was my point.

And yes even hard pressed hammers can vary in their consistency and preparation. But when I go to listen to new Yamahas or new Bosendorfers for a customer (as I did yesterday) I don't hear as wide a variation that I can attribute purely to hammer prep as I do on Steinways (1 factory dip in what was a weak solution that day versus 8 applications by an overzealous store tech) which can obscure the underlying reality. It was just a comment on the difficulties of picking pianos for people with certain manufacturers.  Let the technician beware.




David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com
(sent from bb)

-----Original Message-----
From: Douglas Wood <dew2 at u.washington.edu>
Sender: caut-bounces at ptg.org
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:23:40 
To: <caut at ptg.org>
Reply-To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Steinway selection

Well, yes, one can see it that way. But then what about the clients  
that choose the piano whose tone is so "underdeveloped". Or the ones  
that are drawn to the overly bright hammers because it's so immediate.  
I'm suggesting that we as techs can try to learn to separate the  
"inherent sound" from the tone development. And help buyers/selectors  
choose an appropriate character. Getting the piano to "stay there" is  
definitely our job, IMO.

Doug

On Feb 17, 2011, at 2:19 PM, David Love wrote:

> It's effective but it sure can be misleading.  Since Steinway  
> hammers are so
> lacquer dependent and the treatment is somewhat random, you can walk  
> away
> from a piano with an otherwise "perfect" belly thinking that it is  
> lifeless
> because the hammer was not prepped or not prepped properly and latch  
> onto
> one that seems to have more projection only to find that it quickly  
> becomes
> edgy, strident or with more whump than whine once the hammer firms  
> up some.
> Some manufacturers (or dealers) do a better job than others in the  
> prep work
> that at least gives you a better chance to know what's really there  
> just
> sitting down at the bench.  With others, and I think Steinway tends  
> to fall
> into this group, you almost have to work on the piano to really feel
> confident about what you're going to get--and then hope it stays  
> there, but
> that's another issue.
>
> David Love
> www.davidlovepianos.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
> Douglas Wood
> Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2011 1:37 PM
> To: caut at ptg.org
> Subject: [CAUT] Steinway selection
>
> <snip>... I've witnessed a lot of retail
> selections, and one of the most effective techniques in getting the
> selection actually made is to offer contrasting pianos. If they're too
> similar, then the choice is difficult. It has been interesting to
> note...<snip>...
>