<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; =
-khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi David,<DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Sorry for the delayed =
reply. I definitely agree with what you're saying - more often than not =
people become comfortable with what they're used to and resist changing =
from that - of course that can always work in reverse, if one is used to =
the "new" piano designs going back to "old" may just be a simple case of =
resisting change :-)</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Though I think many =
performing pianists are used to a variety of pianos with differing =
sounds - good and bad. It's hard to dismiss a pianists' opinion on a =
newly designed piano solely on this basis (not that you =
are). Personally, had I not known there was anything different about =
the piano in the Overs' recording I would have just thought "Oh, what a =
nice piano", not "Behold the saviour of stagnant piano =
design".</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>In =
the case I was bringing up - my favourite piano recording vs. the Overs =
recording - I have had surprisingly little experience with Steinways =
compared to other pianos and I *loved* the quality of that piano long =
before I knew it was a Steinway. I only bought my Steinway a year ago, =
and previously was practising on mostly Baldwins for 8 years =
prior.</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Something occurred to me =
though today when considering the re-working of instruments to use new =
designs. Many pianists who own an ageing instrument or problematic one =
are delighted when work is done to restore the tone. Is it not =
possible that the delight of the customers you guys do work for are =
perhaps delighted because of the quality of work you guys to the piano =
in general, rather than the changes themselves? Even a properly prepped =
piano can have a big impact on someone used to non-prepped or poorly =
functioning pianos. Also, plenty of people are ecstatic to get their =
old Steinway rebuilt from the factory, to probably what is less quality =
in workmanship and parts than what their pianos were when =
new.</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><DIV><DIV>- =
John</DIV><DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE =
type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: =
separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: =
Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; =
font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; =
text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: =
0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; =
white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV =
class="Section1"><P class="MsoNormal"><FONT size="2" color="navy" =
face="Arial"><SPAN style="font-size: =
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy; color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-size: =
13.3333px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, =
128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; ">It seems to me that a =
lot of what we like is what we are used to.</SPAN><SPAN =
style="mso-spacerun:yes; color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; =
font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: =
rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "> =
</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, =
128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; ">The “</SPAN><SPAN =
class="SpellE"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, =
0, 128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; =
">whump</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: =
rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; ">” of a =
Steinway in the mid tenor we learn to identify as depth when in reality =
it may be a belly with ribs that can’t quite support the crown or =
stiffness necessary for that section and a predictable transition from =
bass to treble.</SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun:yes; color: rgb(0, 0, =
128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN =
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN =
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; ">The pop in the attack that we learn to =
look for in the treble may be more to do with the failure of the killer =
octave region.</SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun:yes; color: rgb(0, 0, =
128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN =
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN =
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; ">But when you are accustomed to hearing =
such things on a piano that you identify as the “crème de la crème”=
then when it’s missing, it seems like there’s something =
wrong.</SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun:yes; color: rgb(0, 0, 128); =
font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN =
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN =
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; ">The difficulty is in wiping the slate =
clean and approaching the instrument without bias.</SPAN><SPAN =
style="mso-spacerun:yes; color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; =
font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: =
rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "> =
</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, =
128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; ">As one pianist said to =
me the other day (to paraphrase):</SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun:yes; =
color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN =
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN =
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; ">“most of what pianists look for is =
predictability; as long a what comes out of the piano is what the =
pianist thinks will comes out before they play a note, then everything =
else can be worked out.”</SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun:yes; color: =
rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN =
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN =
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; ">Well I think that goes for what pianists =
expect within an instrument as well as between instruments.</SPAN><SPAN =
style="mso-spacerun:yes; color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; =
font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: =
rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "> =
</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, =
128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; ">And if they are used =
to hearing the same things over and over, it’s very difficult to break =
that pattern of predictability even if the heretofore unpredictable =
piano has better balance, smoother transitions and a better combination =
of sustain and power.</SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun:yes; color: =
rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN =
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN =
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; ">Change is always an uphill =
battle.</SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun:yes; color: rgb(0, 0, 128); =
font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN =
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: =
Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "> </SPAN></SPAN><O:P style="color: =
rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; =
"></O:P></SPAN></FONT></P><P class="MsoNormal"><FONT size="2" =
color="navy" face="Arial"><SPAN style="font-size: =
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy; color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-size: =
13.3333px; "><O:P style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; =
font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: =
rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; =
"> </SPAN></O:P></SPAN></FONT></P><DIV><P style="font-family: Times =
New Roman; font-size: 16px; "><FONT size="2" color="navy" =
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="font-size:10.0pt; =
color:navy;mso-no-proof:yes; color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Times =
New Roman; font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" =
style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: =
13.3333px; ">David =
Love</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></DIV><=
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