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<p>antares wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>> Just what are the physical characteristics of wood
that are supposed to be
<br>> undergoing these remarkable changes just with age? Is age making
the wood
<br>> stiffer? No, aging wood doesn't do that. Is age making the wood more
<br>> flexible? No, aging wood doesn't do that either. Is age supposed
to be
<br>> making the wood more massive? Less massive? Age doesn't do that either.
<br>> Except through the addition of subtraction of moisture as it takes
on or
<br>> gives up moisture with climatic changes. Nor does the age of wood
affect its
<br>> internal friction or the speed of sound either with or across grain.
So,
<br>> what is left? Perhaps this is the mystery that Steinway has captured
in its
<br>> infamous 'Mystique Oil.' Instant aging. There is no evidence--empirical
or
<br>> scientific--that wood, left in an unstressed condition, goes through
any
<br>> changes that would affect its performance in a piano soundboard.
<p>And yet, I, with my ears, state that a newly built Steinway (to name
an
<br>instrument) sounds better than an old one.
<br>So now, my question remains :
<p>WHY?</blockquote>
<p><br>You see Antares... we are actually more in aggreement then perhaps
you origionally thought. My whole point is that the subjective nature of
what each of us experience as good piano sound cannot simply be discounted
by the wave of an "all knowing hand", be that the hand of a priest,
a pianist, or an engineer.
<p>The fact that you and countless others indeed experience, each in your
own way, piano sound in a fashion that simply defies present "scientific"
knowledge should be a source of questions to be asked, not opinions to
be fayed away.
<p>Ahh well... we all need our gods it would seem.
<p>Perhaps the answer to your question is simply.... "because you <i>want</i>
it to sound better" Perhaps its something more tangeable. Maybe there
is some aura left from the living tree...grin... or perhaps Del and his
camp are right... in which case there is something wrong with your ears...
hehe.
<p>All I know... is what I said at the outset... we dont have the answer
to that question yet. Tho undoubtably there are those who are convinced
we do... all over the place.
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>
<br>Friendly greetings
<br>from
<p>André Oorebeek
<br>Amsterdam, Holland
<p>'where music is, no harm can be'</blockquote>
For me anyways... this has been one of the more thought provoking discussions
we've had in a while. Great fun. Cheers !
<p>--
<br>Richard Brekne
<br>RPT, N.P.T.F.
<br>Bergen, Norway
<br><A HREF="mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no">mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no</A>
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