<!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 lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple id="role_body" = bottomMargin=7 leftmargin=7 topmargin=7 rightMargin=7> <div class=Section1> It seems to me = that one problem here is that it is difficult to define what a genuine Steinway = actually is.  Aside from the inherent lack of uniformity that exists from = piano to piano, is it a piano from 1920 that happened to come out with a fairly = decently matched soundboard to scale and an extremely light and soft hammer to = match it, or is it a 1990 piano that was horribly matched and had hammers so full = of lacquer that the hammer was more plastic than felt, or was it the 1980 = piano that happened to be using Renner parts out of the factory?  And = this is before we’re even talking about the areas of the piano that we all = know commonly fail: fifth octaves that sound more like clack than bing, = basses that sound like thud, duplex scales that zing and sizzle, transitions between = tenor and bass that just seem like they just can’t be coming from the = same piano, actions that weigh off at 65 – 70  grams.  The = phrase “killer octave” didn’t come from our perception of a Story and = Clark.    What I see from the rebuilders who = are making modifications is that they are not departing from the low tension = scale characteristics that are typical of these instruments, though they are = making small modifications to tweak and improve the transitions and sometimes = they are adding third bridges (as many Steinways had in the past) to better = maintain log progressions through the sections.  They are not altering the hard = bent rim which helps to accommodate a fairly thin panel typical of these instruments, though they are adding some bracing to beef up where the = frame is somewhat weak.  They are designing soundboard assemblies to better = match the low tension scales so that opposing springs are more compatible as = they were probably intended to be.  They are designing assemblies with = new rib scales and shaping elements in order to produce more predictable and = dependable results and correct weaknesses in various areas in both the treble and = bass (please don’t tell me that an O has a lovely bass until = you’ve heard one with a modified bass bridge and float).   They are = putting softer hammers on these (which produce plenty of volume) to match the scale and panel/rib assembly and are much more characteristic of the Steinway = hammers from the 1920s, not hard and heavy Renner or Abel hammers as we are so = often seeing, or the relatively unpredictable and lacquer driven hammers of = recent times.  They are producing pianos with a warm tone that have a = natural pianissimo as well as a forte and might very well be more aligned with = the overall tonal characteristics of the early Steinways (before the boards = failed) than a lot of what I see and hear now out of the factory or the shops of = some rebuilders.    All in all, who is to say that = these modifications don’t, in fact, help to capture more predictably the = sound (without the bugs) that made Steinway what it was originally intended to = be and that we have all but forgotten about through there darker periods or = through the more recent attempt to become the Yamaha—bigger, brighter and = louder—of the west.   When asking what a genuine Steinway is, I think = one first has to look at the fundamental aspects of rim and scale and go from there.  It might just be that those two things, when all things are = taken into consideration, narrow your reasonable choices considerably.  =  The characteristic of the genuine Steinway sound is hard if not impossible = to identify because among Steinways, the sound varies considerably with = many failures in all parts of the scale not to mention the hammers (pay a = visit your local dealer and try a dozen or so and compare).  As someone who = embraces these modifications, I am not looking for a non-Steinway sound per = se.  I am looking for the best aspects of the sound produced by that type of = scale in that type of structure and I want the best possible sound and balance in = all areas of the scale.  If it takes these modifications to achieve = that predictably and consistently, then I’m all for it.  To me, = it’s the person who wants the big, bright, ear popping percussive sound that = they identify as Steinway who is not looking for a “genuine = Steinway”.  They should be shopping for a Yamaha (and I mean that with all due = respect to Yamaha—it’s just another choice). <div> David Love davidlovepianos@comcast.net </div>   </div> </body> </html>