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<DIV>Hello Ric and List,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I do wonder if the Boston piano has different manifestations. The=
ones I look after in UK are, on the whole, disappointing instruments for one=
reason or another. All the uprights (6) which I have on my books =
have
a deadness of tone and poor tuning stability. The plank area on both t=
he
grands and uprights almost feels as though it is manufactured from
compressed rubber, and any feel of 'setting' the pin is totally absent. =
;
Hence the unreliable tuning stability.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The following posting which succinctly suggests 'drilling holes in the
front panel' for added clarity/volume ties in with ones of my
favourite gripes with upright manufacture. Many manufacturers
worldwide make superb upright pianos, but why, oh why, is there still the
tradition of suffocating the sound potential with heavy and solid front
panels. Given that the vast majority of owners are going to push =
the
piano against a wall as well, it seems that the poor upright piano never sta=
nds
a chance to really sound to its full potential. There is a German make=
r
(Steingraeber) who, I notice from their brochure, makes panels with cu=
t-
away areas backed with a very smart coloured material, rather like a
loudspeaker gauze. It makes so much sense. All the old makers li=
ke
Broadwood, Brinsmead etc, and I'm sure many Ameriacn makers used this techni=
que
in very ornamental ways. I have also seen older Bechsteins and one
Steinway K where a restorer has taken out the (easily removed) three panels =
in
the top door and relaced with brass grille backed with a subtle coloured tex=
tile
material. There are so many ways of presenting this idea, I just wish =
it
would catch on more with both manufacturers and restorers.</DIV>
<DIV>Ric (UK)</DIV>
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