Fix what's not broke?

[Richard Brekne]

Ron Nossaman wrote:

> >Can a board then "age" and develope some tone as a result of that ageing
> >that is
> >desirable ??
> >--
> >Richard Brekne
>
> I'd say not unless it had that "tone" in the first place. An old piano that
> sounds good is just that. Doesn't mean it sounded better than it did new,
> though it might very well if it had been prepped, voiced, and otherwise
> whipped into shape through the years. Still, that wouldn't be the result of
> the soundboard "wonderfulling" as it aged.
>
> Ron N

Well, of course the gang on the rational side of this "equation" make strong
arguments, but are quick to acknowledge as you did in your other posting on
this thread that one can not explain really why that 115 year old Steinway
still has crown and still sounds good. Course this leaves the door open to
others to explain things in a way that is perhaps a bit more....er...."mystic"
in character. Still in the end either way the question seems to lack a real
answer.

In some ways I tend to aggree that it is hard to see what this "ageing" process
might be. On the other hand its almost seductive to think in terms of this
ageing. We see an ageing process going on in so many other things, even wood
yellowing and getting that mellow warm colour with time... hard, in a sense, to
simply deny the possiblity of ageing in sound when there is no real rational
explanation as to why we should.

Grin.. I suppose my question wont find a rational answer until somebody takes
the time to set up some kinda experiment that controls and measures the
relevant information over some ridiculous time span... that after they first
100% for sure identify all what needs to be measured.

Its a fun thought game tho..

thanks for the responses folks.
--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
Bergen, Norway
mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no