<div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left></div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left> <div class=envelope style="FLOAT: none" align=left><A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 216px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=e8d0ZBAkj8b9hteeS5PIZuItotZOvlpd6bl-v4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP794302 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=275 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=e8d0ZBAkj8b9hteeS5PIZuItotZOvlpd6bl-v4xQp5Fd3Ig=&size=m" width=206> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A></div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> <A style="DISPLAY: block; WIDTH: 285px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=e8d0ZBAkj8b9hteeS5PIZuItosD0fzCbySgWv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D"><IMG class=AOLInlineImage id=AOLP845039 title="" style="BORDER-RIGHT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #0066cc 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 5px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: #0066cc 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px solid" height=206 src="http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic?id=e8d0ZBAkj8b9hteeS5PIZuItosD0fzCbySgWv4xQp5Fd3Ig=&size=m" width=275> <div class=AOLPicturesFullSizeLink style="MARGIN-TOP: -6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-ALIGN: right">View full size</div> </A>s</div> <div><SPAN></SPAN></div> <br> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><PRE><TT><TT></TT></PRE></TT></BLOCKQUOTE><FONT face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">               Thanks Jim<br>   I've enjoyed your perspective & journey you describe.   <br>      I truly Love the sound of a good...no great Stwy D all dressed up with somewhere to go but I equally Love the Type of sound you are trying to achieve for your own ears assuming I know what I think it is. I too have been on that trail many years & I would describe the sound I find most interesting as sweet but intensely colored. This does not mean it is a sound with out power, but more like power with out noise, or Pure tone.  I dislike intensely a predominate slap or impact sound which is why I </FONT><TT><FONT face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size=2>most frequently <U>but not always</U> Avoid the more densified hammers. I want the sound to illicit a strong fundamental from the get go & hammers pressed to a medium stiffness have an innate ability & will demonstrate a strongly present fundamental right out of the box. This tell me the felt is appropriately pressed & the felt is doing the work.<br>   The other element which you mention is the soundboard structure it self. As I become more exposed to the intriguing sounds of the redesigned belly's we've all  heard about & built by colleagues the more I realize that this is the other half of the equation. <br>    The Stwy B Dennis I built & took to the rebuilders gallery in Anaheim now resides in my living room.   A modest but recently renovated acoustic space. This piano sounds so sweet in this room & yet it has real power. It's an ethereal sound. & when the shift is on the sound goes into a lower gear which is entirely a dark sweet whisper . I first heard this mysteriously new sound by the pianist who played it in our class with a Ravel piece. We often over look the actual acoustic space the instrument will reside in. <br>   Any way I think maybe both ends of the tonal spectrum can be achieved in the very same piano &  a very satisfying way & without much compromise.  I will admit that I want this action a bit lighter & due to horrible original manufacturing errors  the stack needs to move forward about 2 mm as well as capstan...again.  this will also correct the still small strike line issue it has IMO...be it ever so small. <br>   As Ron N. & Ron O, Del  & many others have said it's never just one thing at work, & it's not... usually.  I was reading Sam Wolfendons book written in 1916 earlier today on toning/voicing & he said some very similar things as you all. Page 151...I think.<br>   Above is the perhaps odd shaped ( to some) B board with a 15 rib fanned scale instead of the usual 13, & large cut-off. I point this out just to say...it makes a real difference in so many ways & Anybody on list who is in my area has an open invitation to come  play & hear something perhaps different than what one is accustomed to.<br>  I finally have  my own piano I'm entranced by<br>   Kindest regards<br>   Dale Erwin<br> </FONT> <div id=AOLMsgPart_2_1a20e43b-8615-4806-b5df-cd4ddfdb68e2><br> <br> <br> <FONT size=3>So yes, I would like to see the sound as well as touch that we consider appropriate to different music's be reflected in differing piano designs. For instance, <STRONG><U><EM>I have heard pianos like I forget which one of Del's small Walter grands, deprecatingly dismissed as "too sweet"...completely missing the point that the piano was designed</EM></U> for <U><EM>a small room sized venues</EM></U>.</STRONG> Same goes for the older </FONT>null<FONT size=3> grands..."too sweet", or "emasculated"...but wonderfully </FONT> <div align=left><FONT size=3>appropriate for many styles of music and certain venues. I wonder how much of </FONT></div> <FONT size=3>this discussion might describe what Gould loved about his "beloved </FONT>null<FONT size=3>"? Ed, back before I knew what to focus my attention when playing pianos, I had the good fortune to play the dreaded "Brown" action in good repair. And I loved it. I would like to sit down with one of them again with the perspective I now have. Jim--Jim </FONT>null<FONT size=3> </FONT><A href="http://www.grandpianosolutions.com/" target=_blank><FONT size=3>www.grandpianosolutions.com</FONT></A><FONT size=3> (under construction) Shirley, MA (978) 425-9026</FONT></TT> <div class=aol_ad_footer id=MAILCIADA046-887548e82a577b><FONT style="FONT: 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF; COLOR: black"> <HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px"> McCain or Obama? Stay updated on coverage of the Presidential race while you browse - <A title=http://toolbar.aol.com/elections/download.html?ncid=emlweusdown00000001 href="http://toolbar.aol.com/elections/download.html?ncid=emlweusdown00000001" target=_blank>Download Now</A>!</FONT> </div> </div> <div id='u8CAF4B19EFE9034-17D4-EC0' class='aol_ad_footer'><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">McCain or Obama? 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