I have mentioned before my somewhat perverse attitudes to some of the piano-centric fora on the net. Whilst I have basically given up trying to glean any important information or ‘correcting’ what I see as misleading information about Stuart pianos and their ilk, every now and again there comes something which really makes me choke on my breakfast.
The question was raised: “I have been thinking that will handcraft pianos always be better than those which are made by auto-machines? Shouldn't those machines that have better precision in handling the manufacturing process than those artisans?”
A fair question up to a point, but it fails to recognise the fact that all pianos are different – very subtly maybe but different nonetheless, and it is impossible, particularly with a high quality piano like the Stuart for any machine to be able to recognise and indeed adapt to these differences. That is not to say that machines are not used – the casing, strings, frame etc are all basically machine made, but the point is that they are controlled by craftsmen – they are not ‘auto-machines’ as mentioned above.
There were a number of reasonable responses along these lines: “While machines can make less errors and are absolutely good in performing repetitive, relatively simple assembly tasks, they cannot take an instrument that is essentially 88 different machines in one box and get them all to perform in consistency with each other. This takes a human touch to perfect regulation and voicing of any piano.”
Of course, this did not stop some really crazy comments coming out of the woodwork. “Piano makers that tout their hand crafting don't sell enough pianos to fund the expensive automated machinery. They attempt to make, in effect, a virtue out of necessity.” Oh yes? Whatever happened to freedom of choice? And what automated machinery are we talking about? (Reminder: buy Wayne a robot for his birthday. That’ll please him no end…)
“When an automated computer-controlled machine can be used, it will produce quality far beyond that achievable from a master craftsman.” Yipes, I’d better not tell Wayne or any of his master craftsmen that one. That would create another Newcastle earthquake infinitely more catastrophic than the one twenty years ago.
“I think it's fair to say, for example, that a hand crafted automobile would be a disaster…” Urk…ever heard of Rolls Royce? Morgan? Ferrari? Bugatti? …the list goes on.
Well I shudder to think that I can pour a whole load of woodchips, wire and steel into a bucket, press a button and wait for a piano to pop out the other end. I take it that you could then seat a robot in front of it and get it to play like Horowitz.
Sigh.
But then again, there are some people who think that Horowitz did play like a robot late in life. Fiendish Russians – you never know what they can get up to.
I was sorely tempted to reply, but I didn’t want to risk my health. My eye specialist did tell me to rest, after all, and rest I shall.