This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Calin said: "In that case, I =3D would say preserving as much of the original substance as possible is = =3D the priority. You don't want to turn it into a modern piano, but make = it =3D sound the was it was supposed to in the 1850's." Calin, First I would have to take MAJOR exception with your comment, in your = previous post, that Americans don't have respect for Tradition! Many do = not, but a large percentage of Technicians, that I've met and talked = with, DO! I for one have such "Respect". However, in this post you say = it will sound like it did when it was built, ONLY if you use the = original sound board. To that I say B.S.! Joe, first of all you make a confusion, I didn't make the comments about = American respect for tradition. That another person, check the previous = e-mails. And I didn't mean to say it will sound the way it did ONLY with the = original soundboard. I meant it is good to preserve the original = substance (if possible and reasonable - that is, not damaged beyond = repair) because it is a historical instrument. I think in such cases it = is more important to preserve the original work and materials. If one wants to really have it sound like new, just make a copy of it, = carefully measuring the original and using the same materials. You would = probably get quite close. I really don't approve of discarding soundboards from historically = significant instruments. That doesn't include the average Steinway, = Bechstein or whatever piano made in the last 100 years or so, there are = hundreds of those out there, which can be modified without any concerns = for destroying historically significant instruments. But a very early = piano is a different thing, which needs to be preserved, not modernized. Imagine one would put a new soundboard and make a new string scale for = an original Cristofori piano... what would that be? That's how I see things. I just finished a complete Restoration of an 1867 Chickering, 8', flat = strung Grand. If I had used the original board, it would have sounded = like crap!!! Although, I'm sure, that originally the piano sounded as it does now, = with a new board and judicious scale improvements that HAVE to be done, = as our current supply of bass string supplies do not allow an "exact" = replacement. Also, If I'm going to go to all that trouble, why the hell = would I want to put the "assembly line" screw ups back in the piano? The = end result, I am sure, for the Chickering is a slightly improved end = result than the original, but not to the point of destroying the essence = of what the original intent/sound was.=20 Well, slightly improved is not original. I'm not saying that you = shouldn't do that, Just that it's not as it was originally any more. I would probably do the same with most pianos, except a few which have = some significance and deserve to be kept unchanged. This same thinking is now prevelant regarding the "restoration" of = Steinways. It's crap and Steinway knows it, but they persist with this: = "if it doesn't have all original Steinway parts than it isn't a = Steinway" garbage. I'm old enough to know what a new steinway sounded = like when it was new, back 4 decades. It sure as hell didn't sound like = the #%%^^* CRAP that is touted as the "Heritage" line they espouse to! Now you are straying quite far from the subject. I don't buy the = "original parts" thing either, since Steinway doesn't make all the = parts, but buys them from Renner and other makers. Too often Technicians think that the original maker knew what he was = doing and achieved his end goal, on every piano he manufactured! = Hogwash! If the board is shot, in terms of the cellular structure of the wood, = it's SHOT! It needs to be replaced. Whether a tech chooses to do it the = way the original maker did, OR make the end product capable of lasting = Longer and sounding Better, than the original, than so be it. I, for = one, chose to TRY to maintain the original INTENT of the maker, if that = is possible, but I sure as hell am not going to waste my time = REPRODUCING mistakes and crap! Your approach works for most pianos. But remember that in some = instruments (and just a few) it is better to preserve whatever mistake = the maker made. Because it's more important for people to be able to = experience them in their original state. Regards, Calin Tantareanu ---------------------------------------------------- http://calin.1L.com ---------------------------------------------------- ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/0b/9b/e9/db/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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