Laminated Soundboards, Dale

[Richard Brekne]

Dale

I have read and enjoyed greatly so very very many of your postings 
through the years since you popped up here. But I gota say that this 
post, which I reprint below, is the absolute best to come off your 
keyboard yet IMHO.  I know I have a tendancy to sound a bit more crass 
then I mean to be,  and often find others expressing meanings I share in 
so much better fashion then I am capable of doing. This posting is about 
as perfect an example of this as I've ever seen.  Thanks ever so muchly 
for taking the time to put this piece together.  Ozzzes with positivism, 
optimism... looking forwardism with bright eyesims... :) I dare say, if 
ever any of these alternative methods towards approaching the task of 
fitting the piano with its heart will win the day over the domination of 
Steinways <<way>> as it were (embraced for whatever reasons by so many) 
It will be because of builders who push onwards with the attitude 
exressed below.   I raise my glass, tip my hat, and bow respectfully.

Sincerely
RicB

   Horace & all
  Actually this is SO  TRUE. Exposure is a  problem. Access to any type 
redesigned boards, in any  configuration any where, is hard to come by. The first 
rib & CC crowned  board I ever heard was at Ken Hannahs shop in Stillwater 
Minnisota Many years  ago. At the time This just wasn't being done on the west 
coast in any numbers by  any one. I had to travel that far for mentoring & 
exposure to new  boards.
  The first Lam panel & rib crowned design combination I  had seen at 
convention was brought to Reno at great cost by Ron  O.   The "Overs" piano  was a 
pure & clear sounding  beauty & beautiful to look at as well. I still remember 
that plate in  polished acrlic enamel The sound & the new Action. Quite 
impressive in all  respects..Thanks Ron
  My point is I've been building boards for a while & I've seen  precious few 
done by any one else in any form. So to see a new ,redesign or rib  crowned 
board etc I've had to go to conventions primarily for this  kind of thing.
  So, is it any wonder that the experience of most technicians  Including me 
are with purely vintage type C.C. crowned boards let  alone rib crowned or 
lam/rib crowned. We  all  as techs have  relatively little to compare to. 
  Even the recent discussion of rib crowned or  rib crowned plus  C.C. or 
complete redesign have even suffered a bit of derision here on the  list amongst 
the brethren. And some  skeptism was heard , & probably  rightly so,as to 
whether these new designs possibly being as Magic as the  predominantly made  & 
purely Compression Crowned boards we all have  seen all of our carreers. If one 
has nothing to compare too how can an opinion  be formed?
  Our new age thinking on all these matters has a long way to  travel even in 
our own technical community let alone marketing offices  etc.
 IMO , & Possibly the most forward thinking  R.D in the  piano world today is 
being done by small shops not large Manufacturers. Will  that ever translate 
to different choices in the Market place?? If so  slowly.
 Until then I'll take every opportunity get some exposure to  other folks 
piano designs & rebuilt pianos.
  So for now, I believe the best value added pianos available to  your 
clients is quite possibly the ones being rebuilt well by small shops &  small 
Manufactutreres &  IMO is a truly value added  product. Forgive my shameless biased 
opinion.
    By Rebuilt " The Valued Added Piano"
     Dale Erwin
   My Restored Stwy D will be at convention for purview  & in Concert with 
Pianist Richard Glazier Sat At 4 pm At Calif  convention Feb 10 thru 12 CSU Sac.
 
   
  Erwins Pianos Restorations 
4721 Parker Rd.
Modesto,  Ca 95357
209-577-8397
Rebuilt Steinway , Mason &Hamlin  Sales
www.Erwinspiano.com

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