1 string, 2 strings, 3 strings or more

[Delwin D Fandrich]

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    From: Richard Brekne
    To: pianotech@ptg.org
    Sent: September 21, 2001 12:13 AM
    Subject: Re: 1 string, 2 strings, 3 strings or more
     =20
    Well... here (in this scaling issue) you seem to think more like the =
technician / engineer... and play up all those incidents of where your =
technical insights coincide with comments you hear from musicians.... =
and you apparently include ..what ... all pianists ?? Re read your lines =
if you will..=20

    I include those musicians with which I have had experience. I can't =
speak for any others.=20
     =20
     =20

      >>Depends on whether or not those defects of character are audibly =

      >>offensive to the musician. If they are I see no reason for it to =
carry on >>for another 100 years offending the very folks it's supposed =
to be >>pleasing when a new bridge(s) and some revised scaling can solve =
>>most of the problem.
    This was why I asked for clarification you see.=20
    No, I don't see.


  Well, what can I say... er... uhhhh... most people I meet seem to =
report  a more varied experience.=20

That's quite a few, actually. I did a fair amount of so-called concert =
work for both Steinway and Baldwin during the 1970s and 1980s meeting =
and working with most of the international and national artists active =
through that time. While I was with Baldwin I met and worked with quite =
a few more. How many in all? I've no idea--I didn't count. Subsequent to =
that, while we were building our vertical, I met and worked with many =
more musicians from all over the world--roughly 2,000 a year who came to =
visit our factory plus a fair number I encountered at various =
exhibitions. None of this includes the numerous technicians I've =
encountered in the hundreds of classes I've given over the years in the =
U.S., Canada and elsewhere.=20

Now, does every musician I've ever encountered report the same =
experience? Or complain about the same things? No, of course not. But, =
over the years enough have done so to make me start to wonder about the =
status quo.... And, enough to make me start to work....=20

I realize this exposure to the musicians of the world is still limited, =
but I must work with what I have. Sorry it doesn't qualify as adequate =
in your view.




Here I am in disagreement with the most of what you say. I do not aggree =
that performance is not related to price, or where instruments are made =
from. My clients.... musicians.... in general think Steinways have the =
best sound and performance around... tho they often wince at the price =
tag, and just about all of them have a different idea of how they are to =
be voiced or just how the touch is supposed to feel.=20

You're entitled to your opinion. Just don't complain when someone buys a =
Petrof because they actually like the way it sounds and when they are =
willing to accept the mechanical limitations of the instrument to get =
that sound. The mechanical limitations, after all, can mostly be =
overcome by a reasonably accomplished technician. The folks buying these =
pianos based on their performance are also entitled to their opinions. =
And if they manage to save a few thousand in the process...so what? Good =
for them.

I still maintain that a well designed inexpensive piano can/will =
outperform a poorly designed expensive one. It's just that there is a =
dearth of well designed pianos available in any price range. (At least =
by 2001 design standards. There are quite a few well designed pianos by =
1901 standards.)



 =20
 =20
Well, I could say something like "Your well publicized contempt for =
Steinway has been a matter of record for sometime. How do you like it eh =
?".... but I wont.=20

That's good, because I don't have any contempt for Steinway or for their =
pianos. I just wish the performance of the Steinway piano lived up to =
it's marketing a bit more consistently. I also believe our =
industry--including, but not limited to Steinway--can do better. In =
fact, I believe if it to survive as an industry, it must.

Del


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