<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html>   Joseph Garrett wrote: <blockquote TYPE=CITE>Most who know me, know that I don't sing the praises of S&S, as a technician. However, as a long time musician, I do. The one thing that Steinway can do, that no other can, IMHO, is "cut through the mix"! In the words of musicians of another era: It has "Balls"! (I hope I'm not offending anyone with this term. None intended. <G>)</blockquote> Yes.... I aggree, the sound is carried across a room and through the sound of other instruments better then any other piano around. Tho some deny that, I have seen demonstrations myself that I cannot find a way to refute, have heard this observation so many times by so many people that I choose to align myself on the side of those who accept this as fact. Indeed.... Steinways whole reputation seems built to no small degree on the ability of a Steinway to fill a hall. Attacks on this characteristic of Steinways seems to largely fall into two catagories.... Denial, and riducule. i.e. either it doesnt exist... or there is no need for it to exist. I heard a similar comment the other day by a European historical instruments rebuilder.... His was that no instrument needed more then roughly half the sustain that modern instruments have... because no music requires such sustain... Personally... I just gotta scratch my head at such blantantly obvious..... "personal tastes" argurementations.   <blockquote TYPE=CITE>  Yes, I wish they would up-grade the way they make soundboards. Yes, I wish they'd get their hammers so they produce the "sound" of The Steinway and quit trying to compete with the clanky hammers of other manufacturers. Yes, I wish they'd upgrade their quality control. Yes, I wish they'd offer some options in case designs, etc. Yes, I wish they'd put the Sostenuto mecanism where it belongs. BUT, the fact remains, the Steinway gots "Balls"! (and for the most part, that's a good thing!)</blockquote> And perhaps.... just perhaps.... the Steinway has got "Balls" largely because they do things they way they do. Maybe there is something to this carry power thing after all ..... just maybe <blockquote TYPE=CITE>  Best Regards, Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)   <a href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives"></a> </blockquote> -- Richard Brekne RPT, N.P.T.F. UiB, Bergen, Norway <A HREF="mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no">mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no</A> <A HREF="http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html">http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html</A>  </html>