Lacquer fight!/ Internal friction

[Gordon Holley]

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Hello TP.  Have read your writings with interest and have a question =
regarding a comment you make.  What are you refering to when you say =
"Sure they pick the better of the production to be C&A".  What is C&A?
Regards, Gordon Holley
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Topperpiano@aol.com=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 1:01 PM
  Subject: Re: Lacquer fight!/ Internal friction


  Andre, Thanks for your response.  I really meant that I just group =
piano hammers in two groups, needle down or juice up and in no way meant =
to put words in your mouth.  I know there are pretty distinct =
differences between the three in their materials and sound but I should =
have made my statement more clear in that I expect German or Asian =
hammers to be harder and I expect American Steinway hammers to be much =
softer and needing some lacquer to function.  I don't know if you see =
many of the smaller American Steinway, Ms and Ls over there but they =
seem to be the ones that come from the factory needing the most =
attention.  Most of the larger pianos are coming in with more power but =
in recent months I have hung German produced hammers on two very nice =
B's that were less than 6 months old. The buyers just like the sound =
better and both had already been juiced to the extinction of the power. =
I have on occasion juiced hammers that were made in Asia, but only very =
sparingly on most German brands because they already have some in them =
to begin with. The Steinway pianos have already had some lacquer in the =
factory and some don't need any more. But when you start with a new set =
you have to really do some pretty radical manipulation. Part of the =
problem here in the US is that we have a pretty unsophisticated sense of =
tonal aesthetic.  Too many Americans have been bombarded with such bad =
piano sound that many do not really have a sense of what good tone is.  =
For so many years we have had such badly regulated, poorly voiced =
American pianos of several brands that almost anything that is even to =
the touch and evenly voiced is regarded as wonderful. The escalation of =
BRIGHT by the low end Asian manufacturers has obliterated any sense of =
tone.  Just a couple of weeks ago I was asked by a dealer to do some =
voicing to a Chinese piano because it was not BRIGHT enough. In a =
voicing sense of course the problem was not bright but a total lack of =
volume and decay. Many pianists here complain about pianos being not =
bright enough when the problem is not one of timbre but of substance. =
Not that I want you to suffer, Andre but I'll bet that faced with a =
voicing project on a Kimball La Petite you would be reduced to tears.  A =
perfect example is the ongoing debate among pianists who believe that =
the Steinway concert grands that are used in New York and as station =
pianos around the country are manufactured in a completely different way =
with better materials and different soundboards, actions, hammers, etc.  =
When you try to tell them that the only difference is that they have =
been voiced and regulated they are incredulous.  Steinway has long =
maintained that there is no difference but many pianists, salespeople =
and dealers alike just do not believe them.  I can tell you that they =
are the one and the same instrument. Sure they pick the better of the =
production to be C&A pianos.  Every company would want their best foot =
forward.  But the reality is that many beautiful Steinway pianos are =
languishing at the dealer level unpurchased because the dealer won't put =
7-10 hours into them.  Rant for today. TP 
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