The Good kind of Heavy

[Barbara Richmond]

Ric,

I find this curious, not because I can't believe a piano's touch could be
heavy and good, but because even during my tenure as a university
technician, I can't recall actually hearing an out and out compliment about
the touch of a piano when the voicing wasn't considered "desirable".  (OK,
that could just be a result of my ability as a technician.)   Dang, I wish I
could've been there to see it, hear it, play it--especially because as a
music major, I tended to like the heavy touch pianos, myself--or at least
what I thought were heavy touch, but maybe they just weren't as bright as
the others.

Just curious, what size room is it in?

What *were* the comments on the tone--especially in relationship to the
touch?  Did they really say, "Ric, my man......this piano's tone leaves
something to be desired, but I really dig the touch!" ??   :-)    Didn't
anybody say why they liked the heavy touch?  Say, for instance, "I am the
whole orchestra here, and this piano makes it easier for me to control the
inner voices!"  [Just for the record, those voices aren't in my head. :-) ]

I guess what it comes down to for me, is it just seems like there should be
some *result* of the heavy and good touch, high ratio, or whatever, that
make or made the students love to play it.

Do tell!   Inquiring minds want to know--even if they are terribly right
brained  (what, who me?).  AND it will be very interesting to hear the
comments on the new action!


Barbara Richmond, RPT
somewhere near Peoria, IL


PS  By the way, if you're ever in a convention class and the instructor
starts talking numbers in a big way, you'll be able to spot me:  I'll be the
one whose eyes have rolled back into her head and has passed out on the
floor.  :-)




----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 3:43 PM
Subject: Re: The Good kind of Heavy


> Hi Barbra, Andre, and Avery.
>
> I hear you on the voicing count. But in this case we are talking
> touchweight. This is my "experiement" piano and I take care to check
> pianists comments against differing conditions. The voicing as been
> really mushy, and very hard and bright and different times before the
> hammer change. I get comments about that as well for sure. But this
> "good kind of heavyness" comment has come so often about this piano that
> I've made sure we are talking about touchweight.
>
> Only thing I can think of off hand is that if an action first is to feel
> <<heavy>> AND <<good>> then it is a high ratio that first and formost
> that will do the trick. It will be interesting to see what I get for
> comments now that the hammer mass is reduced so much. I ended up with
> the same Balance weights with assist magnets engaged, tho if they were
> disengaged it would be quite a bit reduced compared to the origional set
> of hammers.
>
> Grin... as to the "Ric Brekne sound"... its getting more consistant for
> sure... but the old set of hammers could never have been voiced well no
> matter what you tried. 30 hours of use a week, for 10 years takes its
> toll :)
>
> Cheers
> RicB