Interestingly Stable

[Overs Pianos]

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Hi Dave,

I seem to remember from your first post on this topic that the 
Kawai/Schiedmeyer in question was a grand? If so, do you remember the 
length of the piano and at which notes it crossed between the 
bass/treble bridges? I'd be interested to know.

I remember tuning just one of these Kawai/Schiedmeyer pianos (a 
taller upright) back around 1990. I was hoping to have been able to 
tune the same piano subsequently, but the opportunity didn't arise. 
The 'Schiedmeyer' upright piano I tuned had the bass/treble crossover 
at E32/F33, with log style scaling (no annoying hockey stick end). I 
remember thinking what a revelation it was for Kawai to be making a 
taller upright with such an advanced scale. At the time, I expected 
that very soon the whole Kawai range would be built with similar 
decent scaling. I thought there would be no way they could miss 
noticing the improved tuning stability and tunability of the 
Schiedmeyer upright against their other production models.

Unfortunately, it would seem that no one from the Kawai design team 
was paying attention at the time (or if there was any realization, 
that it was howled down by the heads of department). I find it 
extraordinary that a factory could build a well scaled instrument 
alongside their standard instruments without noticing the improved 
tuning stability and inharmonicity curve of superior scaling. Even 
today, fourteen years after witnessing the decent Schiedmeyer scale 
from the Kawai factory, the same old status quo crossover between 
Bfl26 and C28 on larger uprights remains (complete with the ordinary 
tuning stability which is an inevitable consequence). And please do 
not assume that I am just Kawai bashing here. This scaling ignorance 
is endemic amongst the current crop of post 2000 manufacturers, right 
up to and including the high end maker which considers itself to be 
above the rest of us. When customers call me for advice about which 
upright piano they should purchase, I feel a sense desperation. 
There's not one manufacturer out there (to my knowledge) who builds 
an upright piano with a decent scale - its exasperating stuff.

Its extraordinary that this matter of scaling and tuning stability 
has been raised by many Pianotech list commentators, while attracting 
zero interest from the factory fraternity. Perhaps the mainstream 
designers have their heads so permanently stuck in their anechoic 
chambers, struggling to secure a minor performance improvement from 
their outdated designs that they're failing to hear any voices of 
dissent.

Often when I despair at the comatose which pervades the piano 
industry, I speculate on an analogous scenario which might exist in 
the motor industry. What if car makers were to aimlessly copy the T 
model Ford while assiduously studying ways to get better performance 
from the original design? Recently a correspondent emailed me from 
the UK regarding my opinion on scaling, suggesting that a certain 
manufacturer might be taking the attitude that "if it ain't broke, 
don't fix it". What rubbish! Show me a discipline in life where 
knowledge hasn't taken huge strides over the past century. Its time 
to give consideration to the various new designs which are coming 
along, and giving them an open minded assessment. The industry 
strangulation of the past century desperately needs to end.

And speaking of industry strangulation, but interestingly nonetheless;

The Sydney International Piano Competition

The Sydney International Piano Competition is in full swing at the 
ordinary-acoustic venue, the Seymour Center at Sydney University. 
Fortunately, the ABC's expert sound engineer, Alan Maclean, gets a 
respectable quality of broadcast sound despite the room (thanks to 
the wonders of balancing microphone placement with the judicious use 
of electronic reverb). Anyhow, for those pianotech list subscribers 
who don't reside in Australia, you can hear every note of the Sydney 
Piano Competition via the ABC's website. For information on the 2004 
Sydney International Piano Competition, go to;

http://www.abc.net.au/classic/sipca/

To listen live online, go to;

http://www.abc.net.au/classic/sipca/audio.htm

You can choose either Real Player or Windows media links. Listen with 
headphones if you have them.

There are three piano manufacturers represented at the Sydney piano 
competition, Kawai, Steinway and Yamaha. The piano being used is 
announced before each performance. I have been listening in. I'd be 
interested to hear list subscriber's response to the 
sound/characteristics of the pianos.

The playing is of an extraordinary standard, but I suspect that the 
flat acoustics of the venue may be part of the reason why the 
contestants seem to pushing the pianos too hard.

mailto:ron@overspianos.com.au

Ron O.
-- 
OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY
    Grand Piano Manufacturers
_______________________

Web http://overspianos.com.au
mailto:info@overspianos.com.au
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