A couple of cool tools for piano technology. Richard Davenport string tools and Great hammer spacing tool from B & K. Yes, I am holding it upside down.
piano technology
Lacey Act, Gibson and Pianos
The Gibson Company was raided twice by agents of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, once in 2009 and again in 2010, on suspicion that Gibson had acquired ebony and other rare woods illegally. The musical instruments industry press went crazy decrying the action (apparently some agents had drawn guns!) and the laws leading to […]
PTG National Convention
I enjoyed a couple of days in Kansas City this summer at the PTG National. These annual events are a piano nerds dream, with classes, presentations and exhibits about all aspects of pianos with a focus on technology (build, repair, regulate). This was the first national convention in many years where I attended as a […]
2 basic concepts of fine piano tone
Let’s digress for a moment and speak in gross generalizations about concepts of piano tone. I have come to the conclusion, specifically reinforced by Udo Steingraeber, that there are fundamentally 2 approaches to piano tone; high rim tension and low rim tension. (don’t bust my chops on theoretical details, remember this is gross generalization). Low […]
What does quality mean?
Quality is a term that is passed about with great ease in the piano industry. The term itself has a rather benign meaning; “high grade, superiority, excellence”. But what does that mean in the piano world and is there any reason the term high quality should be limited to certain makers? If you’ve been exposed […]
August Förster tour Part 2
I learned a couple of interesting things about Forster pianos during my visit. Click on each thumbnail to enlarge. They have this cool slot cut in the inner rim that allows it to resonate somewhat separately. I’ve seen a number of Forster pianos over the years but had never noticed it, not that it is […]