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Double Bass Breaking in a New Bass

#101
bassmanbrent said:
...I'm gonna guess that a 100 year old piano would need most, if not all, of it's original moving parts replaced to be in tip-top shape. I don't think the economics of it make sense, ...
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Yeah - that's my understanding as well. Not a really good comparison to fiddles, and I'm far from expert, but I've never heard of an old piano being rebuilt due to the sound quality of the old wood - case or soundboard. Seems to be done mostly if the old cabinet is especially ornate, exotic wood, or if the instrument has significant provenance.

turf3 said:
I will say that the time I tried out a 110 year old Hamburg Steinway I really, really wanted to take it home with me - despite the fact that I had no place for it and I don't even play piano more than an hour or two total in a year. What a beautiful instrument!
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Had it been rebuilt? Was the beauty in the sound or appearance - or both?

One final observation - it is not at all uncommon for owners of mid-lower level spinets and uprights to have to pay someone to haul them away. They simply have no value - certainly not worth the costs/hassle of moving them. Right now, my neighbors have one in their living room that you can have if you show up w/ a van to haul it away...
 
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#102
I don't know the details of the fantastic ~1910 Hamburg Steinway I'm referring to. Also, a jam I used to attend had a similar piano there, and all the piano players would practically come to blows to be the next one to play it. Is it age? Is it the original design? I don't know enough to speculate. (I'm not talking about the visual appearance, I'm talking about that deep organ-like sound.) It's certainly true that age in high-end pianos doesn't seem to be a selling point like it is for violin-family instruments.
 
#103
Ed S said:
And, do they build pianos using aged wood? I'd imagine it isn't "green"...

As a general rule, different from fiddles, pianos aren't generally thought to improve w/ great age. You don't have concert pianists demanding to play on 100 yr old Steinways...

We bought an upright Boston which had been gently used in a concert hall practice room. Got a nice price on it. If it improved w/ age, wouldn't the concert hall ship them off to be broken in somewhere else, instead of continually cycling in new ones.

(Sorry statsc!)
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This thread ceased to have meaning for me when it went into the weeds with saxophones!
 
#108
Well, he posted this in this very thread, back in Aug. Think it was his last post.

I'm sorry if I offended you by disagreeing with you, but your 'my way or the highway' stance is all wrong... I assure you, I am trying to be as tactful as possible, but I think it's high time I just get off the internet and screens for a while - nothing good can come of continuing this discussion with it's current timber and it is self evident that I am wasting time in this cave. It's been a good run, talkbass - Thanks for your help, guidance, and support, et all.
 
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#112
Oscarharboe said:
No need to be rude, zoot! Im just curious of anybody have tried the tonerite for their double bass.
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Was I rude? Not my intention. Hang out here long enough and you’ll notice there are certain “quicksand” subjects we tend to avoid discussing. Ask the guys what they think about hardwood sound posts sometime, ya?
 

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