----- Original Message ----- From: Delwin D Fandrich <pianobuilders@olynet.com> To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 11:53 AM Subject: Re: digital keyboards > > > > One of the limitations of the digital keyboard is, ...... I've noticed the same disconnect with people listening to even very good > audio systems. The same sound that elicits "Wow, doesn't that piano sound great" coming from the audio system would be "What's wrong with that piano" if it were coming from the piano itself. > > Del > With the sound of the piano in recordings becoming more and more shrill, (how many got the news letter that shows soaking the hammer in lacquer?), the digital is closer than ever to the "acoustic" sound. Actually I think someone will tweak a digital keyboard sound that people will like better than the "acoustic" sound for many but not all situations. Already portable keyboards under $500 can earn a good nights wages playing solo in bars, clubs, parties, weddings, or the venues of solo piano entertainment still going today. Except for classical music I don't care whether I am playing a piano or a digital. And with a digital, if I want a remarkable pipe organ, B3, harpsichord or electric piano sound, I have it all plus much more at a touch of a button. Anyone who pursues a career that involves piano playing, except for the concert artist, will also play a digital keyboard for part of his or her wages. When I tuned for Broadway type musicals, there was always one or two or three electronic keyboards in the pit. I don't know what the scale (Union) is today but there is a lot of money to be made for players who can double on "digitals", or, for those who can't, a lot of jobs out of reach. Today I tuned one of the last US made Wurlitzer consoles. I couldn't ask what they paid for it as I was hired by the company that sold it. But even if only $3,000 I would much rather spend $2,000 on a digital and have 1,000 to buy a nice computer to hook it up to. In 2001 I purchased a Yamaha PSR-340 "portable keyboard". The major gripe is only 61 notes, but the 3.5 floppy disk drive sold me and the price was right, $360 after tax. I have had more fun with that machine than any piano I have owned. What attracted my attention was the piano sound. Clearly an "imitation" but great for playing along with any of the 200 pre programmed rhythm patterns of a very live sounding percussion section of 20 different instruments. The question becomes, how much do you have to spend to get a better piano than a $1,000 digital? So the market for the $4,000 and under piano is being challenged by the digitals. Big deal. Think about how the crappy pianos limp along for 40 or 60 years and get tuned maybe 6 to 10 times if they are lucky. Is that what you call loosing piano tuning business? I would rather see one high end piano sold that will get tuned once a year, than 10 low end pianos sold that will get tuned once every 6 years. Of course for a real quality piano that will retain its value you want a grand between $10,000 and $20,000. If that price point is too high then offer $1,500 for a certain Knabe upright in a cafe in Wessington Springs SD, which 'as is', will blow the panels off most uprights in existence, well except maybe the Bush and Lane in Platte SD, but that has been refinished so you might need $2500. Vintage SnS uprights that are as good are worth, what, $3,000 to $ 5,000? While the sales of digitals might cut into the sale of "acoustics" I think the interest generated by the digitals will spur the interest of higher end pianos resulting in increased sales of quality pianos. I think the bottom line of value is that pianos will always have a potential for investment that "digitals" never will. Actually I mean the bottom line of value is how good a musical instrument sounds.---ric
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC