A booming market voice

[David Ilvedson]

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I have a customer who is a excellent pianist with a 100 year old Knabe.
She has been talking about how she deserves a good piano and suggested she
go out and look.  She went to the local Steinway/Yamaha fully expecting to
find the piano of her dreams and spent 3 hours playing everything.  She was
astounded when nothing called to her.  She couldn't believe the lack of
singing quality in the Steinways especially...I suggested she try the Mason
& Hamlin next...We are rethinking working on her old piano...

David I.



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On 9/17/01 at 10:52 AM Delwin D Fandrich wrote:

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Mark Wisner 
To: pianotech 
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. 



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. 

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. 

Del


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