<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" = xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" = xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <link rel=File-List href="cid:filelist.xml@01C52162.10516AD0"> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple = style='tab-interval:.5in'> <div class=Section1> Seems to me that = the school sound is also dictated by budget.  The school I = do work for (major west coast and heavily endowed university) has no budget for = voicing practice room pianos and as much as the pianos drive me (and probably = the students as well) a bit crazy what can you do.  I hate working for free.  When replacing hammers on these instruments, I’m inclined to go for the softest hammer I can = find.  An unlacquered Steinway hammer or maybe a Ronsen Bacon Felt = hammer and let the 18 hours of play each day get them where then need to = be.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> That being said, there are simply differences in taste.  I = have a customer with a Yamaha C7, a big, bright sounding one and he wants it = louder still.  The roof = practically shakes when you play loud on it.  Go figure.  I have another = customer who has a Steinway D and prefers the sound of a totally unlacquered Steinway hammer.  The piano = is pretty soft but has a dynamic range and she likes it that way.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> My own taste is toward the warmer = side but not at the expense of some power.  If I voice to my taste, some = like it some don’t.  So I tend to = ask first.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <st1:PersonName>David = Love</st1:PersonName> davidlovepianos@comcast.net <o:p></o:p> </div> -----Original = Message----- From: = pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of <st1:PersonName>Barbara = Richmond</st1:PersonName> Sent: Saturday, March 05, = 2005 8:43 AM To: Pianotech Subject: Re: Modern = Tone <o:p> </o:p> <div> Hey = Dave,<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> I think Joe's = comment does have some merit.  I *do* understand the practice room problem of = loudness, but I remember just "hammering away" at the voicing anyway, to help keep things under control (and so I could bear to tune the pianos).  I remember visiting a fellow university tech, taking = a look at a particular piano in a practice room and asking if that was the tone quality he was shooting for. (I mean, there is some difference = between that granite sound and just plain loud.)   His immediate = response was, "It's only a practice room."  Well???  = <o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Then we went up to a = recital hall to have a look at one of the instruments there.  = Holy Toledo, I just about fell over playing the first chord.  He admitted that his assistant was supposed to have voiced it, but obviously hadn't.  = But he also said, that that was how everybody liked them (and added the = comment that some of the petite girls needed help in producing volume--you might = be able to imagine my reaction to that).  But, he was told when = he first arrived on the job that "they like things bright here."  = Well, who can argue with that?  I didn't ask him who said that, but I = might the next time I see him.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> So, it sort of brings up = the "school sound"-- and who determines it.  In my case, I = set it and got lucky because it was well received.  I do remember one professor telling me of a visiting pianist (from a big = university) making comments about the pianos here.  "If only I could = have pianos like this in my studio."  I *think* he was talking tone quality, because those were 1970s Teflon Steinways with original = everything (they weren't terrific *playing* instruments because I was fairly = limited in what I could do since my predecessor had repinned the parts with = telephone poles and we had no parts budget).  Anyway, my reaction to his comment was, "Well, why doesn't he say something to his = technician?"   I knew who the head tech at that school was at the time and I knew he = was a competent technician.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> So.....there are a lot of determining factors.  Folks get used to a certain sound, folks who = are afraid to ask for something different, etc., etc., = etc.......<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> I have a customer who = recently replaced her worn out, little old no name grand with a 1940s B--all original.   Something was said about how she liked the sound = and touch of the used one better than the new.  I knew why---it felt = and sounded most like her old piano--desperate for regulation, complete with dampers bouncing on the backs of the keys.  = :-)<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Barbara = Richmond<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o: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> ----- Original Message = ----- <o:p></o:p> </div> <div style='font-color:black'> From:</span= > <a href="mailto:dporritt@mail.smu.edu" = title="dporritt@mail.smu.edu">Porritt, David</a> <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> To:<= /font> <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" = title="pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</a> <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Sent:</span= > Saturday, March 05, 2005 8:07 AM<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Subject:</s= pan> RE: Modern Tone<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <o:p> </o:p> </div> Joe:<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Your “tin can” comment below is = close, but no cigar.  We have 10 practice rooms reserved for piano majors with = 10 Steinways (5 Ms, 4Ls and a B)  The rooms are tin cans.  If you can = imagine a room with a B that can hold the B, a bench and a small to medium sized student.  How do you get a sound that isn’t too loud?  I = have encouraged students to invest in some kind of hearing protection.  Generally they do leave the short lid closed with the music desk sitting = on top of the piano.  In spite of the fact that this makes the music = awkwardly high, it’s better than going deaf before lunch.  I have = steamed the hammers (doesn’t last) I’ve fabric softened the hammers (doesn’t last and causes the hammers to loose their shape) needled = the hammers (really nothing lasts).  These pianos are played very hard = and in a room about 5% of the size room these pianos were made to fill.  = In our case at least it’s not the pianos, but the rooms.  = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> All our rooms do have walnut paneling and in = the next year there is to be some acoustic modifications made to them.  The = goal is to reduce volume in the rooms and cut down sound transfer between the = rooms.  (Right now we have a lot of Mozart/Liszt collaborations that you = don’t want to hear!)  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> When you think practice rooms, remember that = these are often really nice pianos in extremely small = rooms!<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> dp<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> David M. Porritt<o:p></o:p> <a = href="mailto:dporritt@smu.edu">dporritt@smu.edu</a><o:p><= /o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> </blockquote> </div> </body> </html>