[CAUT] Lacquered hammers

[Laurence Libin]

Does Samick literally own one-third of Steinway? I didn't realize they'd 
increased their share that much.
Laurence

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ed Sutton" <ed440 at mindspring.com>
To: <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2011 3:19 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Lacquered hammers


> Each year at NAMM I discover how much the world is not what it would be if 
> I were in charge.
> Gradually I am learning that it is what it is, and that I need to respect 
> that what exists is at least able to exist.
>
> People (including people in power at colleges) say many ignorant things 
> about pianos, but years ago I realized that if everybody dumber than me 
> got as smart as me, I'd be at the bottom percentile, not a thought that 
> pleases me. People mostly repeat what they were told, so change is usually 
> slow and capricious.
>
> Meanwhile, if you want to see pianos made according to more current 
> technology, go to Indonesia and visit the Samick plant. They are already 
> making bellies and cases (now called "tone bodies") for increasingly 
> prestigious-named companies (who are rather secretive about it...wonder 
> why?). And they own one third of Steinway.
>
> By the way, placebos do work, by reducing the stress hormones in the 
> brain. What makes a placebo work better? Bigger, more colorful, more 
> expensive, used by somebody famous, just plain belief, everybody knows 
> it's good. These are from double-blind tests of sugar pills. Do you 
> suppose it doesn't apply to pianists, piano dealers, and piano 
> technicians? Truth is our brains can't keep up, and we got no choice but 
> to keep huffing or drop out.
>
> Let me know when the world is fixed.
> Meanwhile, let me know if I'm being human, more or less.
>
> Ed Sutton
>
>
>> If nobody wants to play it, it  won't get played, period. It will be a 
>> failure, period. No matter how  much of your life's blood you have given 
>> to make it the best it can be  (in your opinion).
>> Dragging the state of the art back to the stone age? Well, the state  of 
>> the art has to please the state of the art. Meaning the modern  piano has 
>> to please the modern pianist, and the concert piano has to  please its 
>> wide range of users. If the "state of the art" of piano  redesign is 
>> capable of doing that, it will be a resounding success. If  not, not.
>> Are there examples of redesigned concert pianos that have met with 
>> consensus success at their institutions? If so, those are the 
>> instruments to examine to discover what portions of redesign are most 
>> fruitful. (Redesign for the individual is a completely different 
>> animal).
>>
>> Regards,
>> Fred Sturm
>> fssturm at unm.edu
>> "Since everything is in our heads, we had better not lose them." Coco 
>> Chanel
>>
>