Long term pitch drop, was: Type O

[Porritt, David]

Paul:

 

This is the way of all the top instruments.  The top French horns,
flutes, violins etc. are all made in very small shops.  The fact that we
now have a few pianos being made this way is progress.  The best factory
made instruments of any type will never approach the small shop output
in quality.  It's just that in our history this phenomenon has excluded
pianos.  Now it doesn't!

 

dp

 

David M. Porritt

dporritt at smu.edu

________________________________

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
Behalf Of PAULREVENKOJONES
Sent: Friday, February 23, 2007 1:34 AM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: Long term pitch drop, was: Type O

 

Ric, and all:

 

One of real eye-openers from the Rochester rebuilder's showcase was the
amazing number of innovations possible with stunning results in most
cases. But it also occurred to me, while I was there and since, that
because of the economics of factory production (as a well as shareholder
pressure from public companies) that in five years we'll be lucky to see
any of the innovations adopted or brought into the mainstream. It's a
conservative crowd, and understandable given the costs of production and
the nature of the market. But isn't it too bad that we'll see most of
the really deeply considered ideas expressed in only limited numbers
from the onesy-twosy shops. But thanks to all of the people who did the
thinking and making!

 

Paul

 

"If you want to know the truth, stop having opinions" (Chinese fortune
cookie)

 

 

In a message dated 02/23/07 01:15:59 Central Standard Time,
ricb at pianostemmer.no writes:

	I would think that if there is one thing the piano industry has
itself 
	proven over time is that the absolute best that can be built is
not the 
	result of a factory manufacturing situation.  The best factories
have 
	done about all then could possibly do to combine the idea some
form of 
	mass production with the idea of hand made-craftmanship.
Inherent in 
	this concept is the admission that the best artisans, if left to

	themselves would be able to produce a superior instrument then
can be 
	produced in a factory setting. Indeed, to some degree one can
still pay 
	for <<extra attention>> at some of the better factories. 
	
	Strikes me that it is entirely possible, if not highly probable,
that 
	the absolute best the industry has produced to date has come out
of some 
	small 1-2 man shop setting. 
	
	I dont like to use words like better or best or worse often...
because 
	so often they are used in contexts that have to do wi! th purely

	subjective things.  But the quantifiable exists to be sure.  Ron
Overs 
	piano in Rochester for example.  The obvious care taken to just
about 
	every detail was indeed superiour to just about anything I have
ever 
	seen from anywhere. 
	
	Cheers 
	RicB 
	
	   If you point of reference is the finest that the piano
industry has 
	   produced to date, I'll stick to my answer, Thank you very
much! 
	
	   Frank 

 

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