Comments on: When is it not a Bosendorfer? http://perarts.com/blog/2009/03/when-is-it-not-a-bosendorfer/ The world of high end pianos Sun, 26 Feb 2012 12:18:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Eric http://perarts.com/blog/2009/03/when-is-it-not-a-bosendorfer/comment-page-1/#comment-7067 Eric Sat, 25 Sep 2010 22:21:08 +0000 http://perarts.com/blog/?p=188#comment-7067 Thanks for your comment Mario. The main point of the post was to point out that after rebuilding, the name on the fallboard may not have much to do with what the piano actually is. Assuming that the qualities of the original builder are important, then effort should be made to maintain those qualities. Most clients don't understand the distinction and, in my opinion, many rebuilders don't consider the original characteristics of the instrument. I am talking about very high level instruments, such as Bosendorfer and others. Many lesser brands, including the name most often sought after in the used/rebuilt market, are frequently improved by the skilled rebuilder. Thanks for your comment Mario. The main point of the post was to point out that after rebuilding, the name on the fallboard may not have much to do with what the piano actually is. Assuming that the qualities of the original builder are important, then effort should be made to maintain those qualities. Most clients don’t understand the distinction and, in my opinion, many rebuilders don’t consider the original characteristics of the instrument. I am talking about very high level instruments, such as Bosendorfer and others. Many lesser brands, including the name most often sought after in the used/rebuilt market, are frequently improved by the skilled rebuilder.

]]> By: Mario Igrec http://perarts.com/blog/2009/03/when-is-it-not-a-bosendorfer/comment-page-1/#comment-7047 Mario Igrec Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:06:19 +0000 http://perarts.com/blog/?p=188#comment-7047 A rebuilder faces a challenge. Working with each manufacturer's original parts requires slightly different techniques and sometimes different tools. Just as each manufacturer is thoroughly familiar and experienced using particular materials (plate finish, for example), a rebuilder is compelled to use the stuff he or she is familiar with. An average rebuilder is at a further disadvantage due to the much lower overall volume of work and having to be an expert at a very diverse set of skills, from woodwork to machining, to finishing, to fine regulation and concert-level tuning. So the question becomes is the world better off with rebuilders who work with materials they understand and know how to control, or are original parts really the only way to maintain the genuineness of any given brand of piano? I am not talking about hotroding an instrument. If the answer is the latter, as you seem to suggest, then the only people who can rebuild a Boesendorfer are Boesendorfer people. Also consider that manufacturers change their suppliers and implement product improvements that make today's product very different from the one made a decade or two ago. Renner uses felt from different manufacturers to make the "genuine Hamburg Steinway" hammer. Today it's a totally different product (with maple moldings) than it was 20 years ago (had mahogany moldings). So what hammers are 'genuine' when rebuilding a 1990 Hamburg? Boesendorfer went throughy at least 3 styles of whippens in recent history (Schwander to Steinway-style being most notable). Premium Blues may actually be closer to the genuine, orange underfelt hammers, than many other styles of replacement hammers (Abel, Imadegawa, Isaac, etc). No question about it, the rebuilding work done by Boesendorfer is exceptional. But if performed to the same standards using different materials, does a rebuilding really invalidate the quality of the instrument? When it deteriorated to the point that it needed a rebuilding, the piano already changed. Do manufacturer's current parts and materials really make the piano that much more genuine than using other, slightly different parts of the same quality? A rebuilder faces a challenge. Working with each manufacturer’s original parts requires slightly different techniques and sometimes different tools. Just as each manufacturer is thoroughly familiar and experienced using particular materials (plate finish, for example), a rebuilder is compelled to use the stuff he or she is familiar with. An average rebuilder is at a further disadvantage due to the much lower overall volume of work and having to be an expert at a very diverse set of skills, from woodwork to machining, to finishing, to fine regulation and concert-level tuning.

So the question becomes is the world better off with rebuilders who work with materials they understand and know how to control, or are original parts really the only way to maintain the genuineness of any given brand of piano? I am not talking about hotroding an instrument. If the answer is the latter, as you seem to suggest, then the only people who can rebuild a Boesendorfer are Boesendorfer people.

Also consider that manufacturers change their suppliers and implement product improvements that make today’s product very different from the one made a decade or two ago. Renner uses felt from different manufacturers to make the “genuine Hamburg Steinway” hammer. Today it’s a totally different product (with maple moldings) than it was 20 years ago (had mahogany moldings). So what hammers are ‘genuine’ when rebuilding a 1990 Hamburg? Boesendorfer went throughy at least 3 styles of whippens in recent history (Schwander to Steinway-style being most notable). Premium Blues may actually be closer to the genuine, orange underfelt hammers, than many other styles of replacement hammers (Abel, Imadegawa, Isaac, etc).

No question about it, the rebuilding work done by Boesendorfer is exceptional. But if performed to the same standards using different materials, does a rebuilding really invalidate the quality of the instrument? When it deteriorated to the point that it needed a rebuilding, the piano already changed. Do manufacturer’s current parts and materials really make the piano that much more genuine than using other, slightly different parts of the same quality?

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