Killer Octave Question

[Greg Newell]

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John,
         I think I see your line of thought here. You have exclaimed that 
you rebuild with the same techniques you have found on the piano 
originally. Did I paraphrase that correctly? If so how can you tell if the 
original bridge was intended to be crowned from the factory or if it simply 
took on it's curvature from being mated to the soundboard panel for 'lo 
these many years? I gleaned from your web site that you pre-crown the ribs 
prior to gluing them to the new soundboard panel. Correct? Are you able to 
ascertain from the originals what the arc was intended to be or is that 
subject to some change throughout the years? Is there documentation to 
support any originally designed crown? Did S & S and Mason and Hamlin crown 
ribs originally and for some unexplainable reason abandon the practice? 
I'll stop here so as to not burden the list with too many questions at 
once. Thanks to all for your indulgence.

Greg



At 08:13 PM 4/12/2003, you wrote:

>Greg,
>
>Ron's question was:
>
> >> > John,
> >> > How then does this correlate with the number of new Steinways we see
> >> > (often enough on the showroom floor) with concave crown in the killer
> >> > octave? It seems to me that if a crowned bridge is supporting
> >> soundboard
> >> > crown and making it last longer, there ought to be soundboard crown to
> >> > show for it. Especially in a new piano.
>
>My answer in short is:
>
>We see these problems because of a lack of craftsmanship not necessarily 
>because crowning the bridges doesn't work. I don't know if it really helps 
>or not but if it doesn't help it is not an explanation for why the pianos 
>made today have these problems. I also tried to explain why there is a 
>lack of craftsmanship today.
>
>John
>
>
>
>
>Greg Newell wrote:
>>John,
>>         I'm confused. Exactly which question did you answer here?
>>Greg Newell
>>
>>
>>At 05:24 PM 4/12/2003, you wrote:
>>
>>>Phew Ron,
>>>
>>>Are you sure you what me to answer all of these questions? I feel like a 
>>>general at a CENTCOM briefing. I can' answer all of this at once so let 
>>>me bite off one and see how it goes.
>>>
>>> >> I have worked on many brands of grand pianos and have observed that
>>> >> some pianos seem not to have this feature but the two brands that
>>> >> consistently show evidence of bridge crowning are Steinway and Mason
>>> >> and Hamlin.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > John,
>>> > How then does this correlate with the number of new Steinways we see
>>> > (often enough on the showroom floor) with concave crown in the killer
>>> > octave? It seems to me that if a crowned bridge is supporting soundboard
>>> > crown and making it last longer, there ought to be soundboard crown to
>>> > show for it. Especially in a new piano.
>>>
>>>Since my rebuilding process involves soundboard replacement I usualy 
>>>work on pianos that are over the hill - say 40 years old or more. I 
>>>don't expect to see very much crown left at this stage no matter how 
>>>well made or what design principles were used. As far as how new pianos 
>>>are fairing; all I can think is that we are simply not living at a time 
>>>in history that is conducive to building fine pianos. We no longer have 
>>>the cheap skilled work force or the economic momentum (competition for a 
>>>growing marker) that was the fertile environment that nurtured these 
>>>fine instruments.  Furthermore, and most telling is how far we are 
>>>removed from the aesthetic soil that gave rise to a true renaissance in 
>>>piano building. The public's ears are no longer attuned to the 
>>>subtleties of tone and fewer and fewer of them would know the difference 
>>>between the frogs seen in hotel lobbies or the finely prepared pianos of 
>>>Carnegie Hall. Now days we are lucky if a few pop out the factory door 
>>>without fatal flaws.
>>>
>>>Fortunately the news is not all black for us technicians in this era of 
>>>shrinking interest in the piano. There are still a few great oaks 
>>>standing in the old growth forest. They with there followers are still 
>>>interested in the piano and the music written for it. I can't think of 
>>>any of them that I have met that would not want their piano to sound and 
>>>play as well as those built at the height of the golden era of piano 
>>>building. It is their hope as - I hear it - that playing these pianos 
>>>will give them greater insight into the music they love to play. I think 
>>>that studying these instruments is vital to us technicians - and not 
>>>just studying how they don't work but how they do work.
>>>
>>>John Hartman RPT
>>>
>>>John Hartman Pianos
[link redacted at request of site owner - Jul 25, 2015]
>>>Rebuilding Steinway and Mason & Hamlin
>>>Grand Pianos Since 1979
>>>
>>>Piano Technicians Journal
>>>Journal Illustrator/Contributing Editor
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>>Greg Newell
>>mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>_______________________________________________
>>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>
>
>--
>John Hartman RPT
>
>John Hartman Pianos
[link redacted at request of site owner - Jul 25, 2015]
>Rebuilding Steinway and Mason & Hamlin
>Grand Pianos Since 1979
>
>Piano Technicians Journal
>Journal Illustrator/Contributing Editor
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>

Greg Newell
mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net 

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