Is Bigger Better?

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: May 21, 2001 6:44 PM
Subject: Re: Is Bigger Better?


> > As far as the rest of your query goes... sounds like she wants German...
>
> Just curious, why do you say that? Because of the lack of need for
excessive
> power? That soft-spoken Bechstein or Bosendorfer might work well in a
small
> living room/studio?

For some time now the piano industry has been obsessed with POWER. Many
pianos are sold because some salesperson figured out how to convince his/her
unsuspecting client that POWER was the way to go. POWER is good and MORE
POWER is better. The problem with this approach is that within any given
piano size range, power always comes at the expense of dynamics and
musicality. The argument is made that certainly on the concert stage the
piano must be designed and built and voiced for POWER. Even here I would
raise a question -- why? A nicely balanced concert grand with good dynamics
and voice using just enough good quality amplification to make it heard
throughout the auditorium will always sound better than one that has been
voiced rock hard for POWER.

This is even more true in the home and studio. I've never had a client
complain that his/her piano has too much dynamics. Countless have complained
that they don't have enough.



> > I agree that a piano much over 6 foot is going to be too much...
>
> I don't think I said that. But why do you suggest bigger than 6 foot might
> be too much? I agree that the only thing soundwise I seem to notice about
> some big models is more roar from the bass section.

This can become a real problem if the piano is oversized for the room. The
more I learn about piano design the more convinced I am that we should be
concentrating on things like dynamic range, tonal balance, clarity of sound
consistent and progressive sustain characteristics -- the things that really
define an instruments musicality and make the music produced by that
instrument live. Let's face it, pianos are a luxury and when people spend
money on luxuries they do so on the things that stir the soul. However deep
or shallow that soul may be.



> One thing I would really
> like to know is, from a players (good classical pianist) perspective, how
> much difference does the longer keys in the bigger piano make? I see that
it
> would feel better as there would be less difference when pressing down on
> the end of the key compared to up near the fallboard on the bigger key. I
> guess, as someone else suggested, this might be a good thing for her to go
> to some showrooms and play big and small pianos and see if it makes a
> significant difference to her. What can you tell me about how pianists
> GENERALLY feel about action advantages in the bigger piano?

This has only come up with a few of my clients over the years and then
mostly with those owning spinets with drop actions in which the balance pin
was located just aft of the keycovering. It also comes up from time to time
with short -- less than about 170 cm (5' 7") -- pianos using excessively
heavy hammers and the requisite heavy leading used to counterbalance them.
But then, excessively massive hammers are a problem regardless of piano
size. It's a question of the amount of mass that must be accelerated from a
rest position to whatever velocity it attains just before impact. The human
fingers can only do so much. Even with the key length used in very short
grand pianos -- down to 148 cm (4' 10") -- using hammers of appropriate mass
for the scale, I've rarely heard complaints.

This is typically more of a problem in vertical pianos in which it is common
to shorten the keys beyond reason to accommodate a particular case style.
Mustn't have those keys sticking out there too far, you know, won't look
good with that Euro-style cabinet.



> > A piano that needs a complete rebuild however is going to
> > sound and act quite differently then the piano she "picked"... risky
> > business....but certainly its been done many a time..

True. But risky only to a certain extent. It would be a good idea for the
prospective client to spend some time with similar pianos remanufactured by
the same shop if possible.

Regards,

Del