Quality pianos - was Killer Octave

[Farrell]

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"-- There are ways around the problem of thinning soundboards. Even if =
not, it can be done reasonably well on an assembly-line basis. I don't =
know how well it is being done yet but consider the latest Young Chang =
pianos with their S&S inspired diaphramatic soundboards. You can be =
assured that is not being done by hand."

You got that right Del. Last April or so, Joe Pramberger gave our =
chapter meeting a presentation on the new Young Chang Pramberger series =
pianos. Lots of photos from the factory. He specifically described a =
bright young worker there that built him a big computer-controlled (I =
think it was computer-controlled) sander machine that you stick the =
soundboard in there and away it goes thinning the board to your =
specifications. A couple photos of it. Looked pretty impressive.

Thanks for the inside view on some of this stuff.

Terry Farrell
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Delwin D Fandrich=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 12:05 AM
  Subject: Re: Quality pianos - was Killer Octave



    ----- Original Message -----=20
    From: Donald Mannino=20
    To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
    Sent: September 11, 2001 1:05 PM
    Subject: Re: Quality pianos - was Killer Octave


    Well, I thought maybe I would chime in a little and expand a little =
on Del's comments here:

        ....In design, even "cheap" pianos are engineered to have proper =
down=20
        bearing, bridges etc. The problem between the cheap and the =
expensive ones=20
        are that in the manufacturing process,=20


      Fundamentally this is true. More specifically, it lies in the =
amount of money spent on production machinery to remove hand labor.

    The cheapest pianos, though, are those made by inexperienced labor =
at very low wages, often using very inefficient production methods.  =
Even the most mechanized factory spends most of its money on labor, so =
the only way to lower the costs further is to move the factory where the =
labor is cheaper.  When this is done by an experienced piano company the =
results can be reasonable instruments.  When it is done by an upstart =
company, the results can be pretty questionable.
  It is true that in so-called 'developing' economies there is a period =
during which many truly horrendous pianos will be built using =
inexperienced and relatively untrained workers. This is especially true =
in companies that have purchased some designs and equipment from some =
out-of-business U.S., Canadian or European manufacturer and then tries =
to build it without really understanding what they are doing. The =
survivors will end up investing in machinery and worker training.


  =20
      One would certainly think this would be consistently true, but it =
often seems that the manufacturer of the low-cost piano is more =
concerned with backing up its products than are the manufacturers of =
more expensive pianos. Perhaps this is because the low-end manufacturer =
might be more willing to accept that their pianos may, indeed, have =
problems.

    I think it is more a matter of the lower cost piano maker must try =
harder to build a reputation.  The distribution arms usually handle all =
the warranty coverage, and they can't control what the factory makes, so =
they have to do everything they can to fix problems in the best way =
possible.=20
  Whatever the reason, they often do a better job.



      It should be possible to mass-produce pianos giving excellent =
performance. Good piano design, hence good piano performance, is not--at =
least is not inherently--expensive. Rims and soundboards can now be made =
efficiently by machine, why shouldn't they be made in such a way that =
they perform well.

    There is no avoiding, though, that the skill and experience of the =
piano builder is what raises a piano to the level that musicians really =
respect and enjoy.  Here are a few examples;
    - It is more expensive for a company to thin soundboards than to =
leave them even thickness.  Even mechanized thinning is rather expensive =
if done well.
    - It is more expensive to use hammers made with low heat, both in =
terms of hammer factory efficiency and voicing time.
    - It is much more expensive to level strings and fit hammers and =
voice carefully.  The technicians who do final regulation, tuning and =
voicing are among the most expensive workers any company employs.

    There are other examples, but these are 3 that have a strong impact =
on the tone and touch response of the instrument.  While one can make =
dramatic improvements in well built "cookie cutter" pianos by doing =
thorough voicing and prepping in the dealer or home, when the piano =
company knows how to do these detailed and labor intensive steps well, =
the final product is on a higher plane than the one which is 'merely' =
well engineered.
  In order:

  -- There are ways around the problem of thinning soundboards. Even if =
not, it can be done reasonably well on an assembly-line basis. I don't =
know how well it is being done yet but consider the latest Young Chang =
pianos with their S&S inspired diaphramatic soundboards. You can be =
assured that is not being done by hand.

  -- Granted, low-heat hammers are probably somewhat more expensive to =
manufacture, though I think there are probably some way to do this =
efficiently as well. But, how much does the factory cost of a set of =
hammers add to the piano? Certainly not enough to justify a cost =
variation of thousands.

  -- This is the one area that should be separating the real thing from =
the pretenders. So why is it still necessary to do these things at the =
dealer level even with some very expensive pianos?

  There are other examples you could give, but my point is just that =
low-cost pianos of reasonably good performance are doable and we should =
have them.



    I have long complained that tuners like to recommend pianos that =
tune easily and look nicely made. =20
  Well, keep on complaining. Your voice also has influence.



      It is my opinion that, finally, the marketplace is speaking. As =
the piano has become nothing more than a perfect piece of furniture they =
are going off to buy something else. Perhaps it's time to bring back the =
music.

    Easier said than done.  There is way too much momentum keeping the =
current process going - as you said, the market speaks.  The brave =
dealers and technicians who really try to make quality music work to =
sell pianos are forced to go along with their competitors.  The buyers =
come in the store needing to hear a better story that the previous =
dealer gave them - and getting that customer to agree to the sale is =
what pays the dealer's bills.
  It's pretty obvious the market is speaking. The only question is just =
what is it saying?

  Del





  Don Mannino RPT=20

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