<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)"> <style>  </style> </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue id="role_body" bottomMargin=7 leftmargin=7 topmargin=7 rightMargin=7> <div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>In all honesty, I don’t have quite that much humility.  I’d like to think there’s something more to it than just not screwing it up.  </span></font><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:navy'>Del</span></font><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> and I have chewed the fat extensively both via phone and email as I tried to communicate a particular thing I was looking for and he tried to translate that into design specs--remember there are choices to be made and different choices yield somewhat different results.  </span></font><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Del</span></font><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:navy'> clearly deserves most of the credit for design concepts (string and belly) and, moreover, for listening to my attempts to express tonal ideas and trying to make sense of them in a way that could be converted to design specifics.  Together we have done a number of pianos like this over the past three plus years.  Some have had all the design modifications currently being used, others, like the M, I have wanted to incorporate fewer of the design changes in order to try and tease out certain variables and glean their effects more in isolation.   The M, as I mentioned, had a modified scale with the addition of a transition bridge holding wound bichords from notes 27 – 32.  I think this was a little farther up than his original recommendation.  I used the original long bridge, recapped it and cut it down to the modified  new length. I made a new bass bridge removing the cantilever and moving the bridge body away from the rim.   A small amount of plate grinding was necessary to move the bridge as far as it needed to.  There was no bass float.  I kept the 10 monochords in the bass although the recommendation had been to go for a few more, 13 I think.  I wanted to keep the cut-off relatively short compared to the typical sweeping cutoff of some of the other designs.  The cutoff joined the straight side about half way back and connected just to the treble side of the horn.  By Del’s typical design specs, the ribs were variable radius through the scale, laminated spruce squared off on the top with the rib at full height for the center 1/3 and tapering gradually to the rim—no scoops.  I used the original rib locations and number of ribs (10).  The grain angle of the panel was changed to 60 degees.  Panel thinning consisted of tapering the entire rear of the panel starting about halfway back from 8mm down to about 5 mm.  An additional belly brace was added in the treble side connecting about halfway between the rim and the brace which attaches about in the middle of the belly rail.  I added a bolt through the plate which is screwed into the new bellyrail brace.  The plate was modified by grinding off the counterbearing bars on the tuning pin side in the capo section and adding brass half ovals to increase counterbearing angle and shorten the length somewhat. </span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Interestingly, I had originally restrung the piano over the original soundboard and used Isaac hammers which needed a fair bit of lacquer to get things moving.  I didn’t like the result and after much consideration decided to use this opportunity to explore some new design ideas and executions.  After putting in the new board, the lacquered hammers (after some voicing), while sounding ok, did not produce exactly the sound I wanted and I couldn’t quite get them there no matter what kind of voicing I tried.  I ended up removing the hammers and replacing them with Ronsen Bacon felt hammers, unadulterated.  Interestingly, while the Bacon felt hammers are clearly softer (and have more felt) than the Isaac hammers, they produce more brilliance in the treble.  Go figure.  The clarity and warmth through the rest of the piano is pretty stunning.  It produces more than ample power.  Does it sound like a Steinway?  I can only report anecdotal evidence but one of my oldest customers who I frequently invite to come play on instruments I’ve completed and who, himself, owns two Hamburg C’s commented that the piano took him back to the NY Steinway he grew up playing.  </span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p> <div> <p><font size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt; color:navy'>David Love</span></font><font size=2 color=navy><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:navy'><br> davidlovepianos@comcast.net<br> www.davidlovepianos.com</span></font><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'> </span></font></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Farrell<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Monday, December 11, 2006 7:24 PM<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> </span></font><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>Pianotech List</span></font><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'><br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: The Soundboard bit.. S&S M</span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>"A magic wood?" It very well could be. Oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah. That was an unusual grain type. I remember it now. I picked it out because I had a couple big boards of it and I could match everything up (aesthetically) real nice. It was a bit unusual though (wide winter wood). I made another, more recent, board for David for a Knabe with more "normal" Sitka Spruce - more like what went into Ron Nossaman's S&S B that he had at Rochester. I trust that stuff will work also.</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>(I tell ya what - when I listened to Ron Nossaman's piano being played by that wonderful youngster from the local university after my class - I was simply spellbound - in all honest I don't ever recall being gripped by a piano performance (and I'm not sure whether I am talking about the pianist or the piano) in that manner before - maybe Spock could explain it to me.....)</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>I've got another 1,000 bd.-ft. of "magic wood" just waiting for your order!!!!!  ;-)</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Realistically, sure, I hope the good sound is part becuase of my work, but I really think most of it is Del Fandrich's design work. I think the bottom line is that I simply didn't screw up anything while building the soundboard - nor did David when he installed the soundboard. But that's my goal in the work I do - someone gives me a set of design specs and I do my best to build a soundboard that accurately reflects that set of specs. If I do my job and accurately turn a set of specs and drawings into reality - and it turns out good - I hope it was because it was a good design and I simply did my part of implementing that design.</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>I'm glad you liked David's piano. I wish I could hear it.......   </span></font><font size=4 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial; color:black'>:-(</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Terry Farrell</span></font></p> </div> <blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt; margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>----- Original Message ----- </span></font></p> </div> <div style='font-color:black'> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;background:#E4E4E4'><b><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:black;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <a href="mailto:Erwinspiano@aol.com" title="Erwinspiano@aol.com">Erwinspiano@aol.com</a> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial id="role_document"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:black'>  Hi Terry</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>   I believe it is. A very interestingly wide grain too. What a sound.  A Magic wood????grin</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>  Dale</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p> </div> <blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid blue 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt; margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Dale - I had built a Del Fandrich-designed soundboard for David this past April. I guess I had kinda forgotten about it and never heard about the end result. Is the one you describe below perhaps the same one?</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Terry Farrell</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Farrell Piano</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><a href="http://www.farrellpiano.com/" title="http://www.farrellpiano.com/">www.farrellpiano.com</a></span></font></p> </div> <blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt; margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>----- Original Message ----- </span></font></p> </div> <div style='font-color:black'> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;background:#E4E4E4'><b><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:black;font-weight:bold'>SNIP</span></font></b></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><em><b><i><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black; font-weight:bold'>  Yes I heard David Loves pianos as well.  His M is by far a remarkable sounding instrument.  It touts all the best tonal features of the original Steinway scale. It was by far one of the clearest most powerful & musical M's  I have encountered.  The treble with no weaks spots  floats on a sea of sustain.  & the bass was huge. Being that I haven't heard other Ms do this in 35 years  I can only draw one conclusion.  It's the design. </span></font></i></b></em></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><em><b><i><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black; font-weight:bold'>  His A also similarly had a treble very much like the Overs quality of sound also floating on a sea of sustain.  Rarely have I heard sustain this strong in the trebles in C.C. boards & but certainly not the clarity and focus this one had.  Again it has to be design. </span></font></i></b></em></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><em><b><i><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black; font-weight:bold'>  SNIP</span></font></i></b></em></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><em><b><i><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black; font-weight:bold'>  Dale Erwin</span></font></i></b></em></p> </div> </blockquote> </blockquote> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p> </div> </blockquote> </div> </body> </html>