A booming market voice

Delwin D Fandrich pianobuilders@olynet.com
Mon, 17 Sep 2001 10:52:24 -0700


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  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Mark Wisner=20
  To: pianotech=20
  Sent: September 17, 2001 12:00 AM



  My snappy retort;

  Nah, Dale, you aren't the booming voice I was referring to.  What I =
was trying to say in a light-hearted way  (and what I may be mistaken =
about) is that since there is a wide range of pianos to choose from, =
new, used, mellow, bright, and everything in between, I assume that =
folks are buying what they want.  And what most people are buying are =
pianos with lotsa volume and a bright sound. So I conclude that's what =
most people want.  Capitalism in action.

  As to the numbers of "S" series pianos Yamaha sells, I already told =
you, one is sold for every gazillion of everything else.....  'Nother =
words, I don't know...not enough, though.
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Actually, Mark, the range isn't nearly as wide as you suggest. True, =
there are a gazillion pianos available with slight variations on the =
hard, 'bright' sound. But there are very few new pianos on the market =
with anything resembling a 'mellow' sound. Not even if you include those =
that are simply 'less-hard' than the aforementioned gazillion. Besides, =
just 'mellow' isn't really the same as the wonderfully dynamic piano =
sound of a time now gone, is it?

Over the past thirty-plus years--I can't personally speak for new pianos =
any further back than that (yet)--I have seen a steady homogenizing of =
piano sound toward today's hard, bright sound as an unanticipated, =
undesirable and unnecessary side effect of mass production. Along with =
this, even as worldwide piano manufacturing capacity has grown by =
amounts undreamed of just thirty years ago and with the exception of a =
few peaks here and there, there has been a steady decline in both the =
number of manufacturers and in piano sales.=20

As I listen to the tales told by the owners of old pianos who, after =
shopping the new piano market with great anticipation turned to =
frustration, are now getting their old pianos remanufactured I have to =
wonder if there is not a connection.... Yes, I do think the market is =
speaking and I don't think it's ready to shut up just yet.=20

Del

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