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Bulky pianos have been in this world for ages now. Everything else evolved; our furniture and other technologies became sleek, slender, and aesthetically better, but pianos have hardly changed at all. For example, they have remained thick and bulky even when they are shorter in size. Del thinks there is a whole universe of opportunities for innovation in piano design.
He agrees that large pianos can be incredible, they give excellent performances. At the same time, those are not the pianos everyone can afford or accommodate in the limited space of their homes. That's why Del realized he could create more modern, sleeker pianos that even ordinary people could buy.
Del says that he wasn't reinventing pianos. But he was just creating a design that people preferred; narrower, aesthetically pleasing pianos suited for small living rooms.
Del notes that unfortunately many modern manufacturers know very little about pianos. Theyβre just copying old designs with not much understanding of the βwhyβ behind the design elements. Thus a manufacturerβs attempt at narrowing pianos and making such drastic changes can lead to the production of poorly performing pianos. Thus Del created Fandrich & Sons to pursue the creation of sleeker pianos informed by solid design principles.
In this episode, Del reveals a world of exploration remaining: better ways to build solid, sustainable soundboards for small and large pianos; the feasibility of manufacturing in China, Central, and Latin America, and much more.
Here's a little bit about our guest Del Fandrich:
Since 1960, Del Fandrich has evolved from a basic service technician to an independent rebuilder, manufacturer, and design consultant. He served as the Director of R&D with Baldwin and has consulted with brands like Charles Walter and Young Chang. Most recently he has been working with John Martin of Wertheim Piano to develop a totally new vertical piano. He has authored numerous papers on topics ranging from basic piano technology to advanced concepts in design and manufacturing. He continues to lecture globally as one of the most forward-thinking minds in the piano industry, maintaining several active research projects in his workshop in Olympia, WA.
ππππ ππ π ππ ππππ πππππ πππππππββ
He agrees that large pianos can be incredible, they give excellent performances. At the same time, those are not the pianos everyone can afford or accommodate in the limited space of their homes. That's why Del realized he could create more modern, sleeker pianos that even ordinary people could buy.
Del says that he wasn't reinventing pianos. But he was just creating a design that people preferred; narrower, aesthetically pleasing pianos suited for small living rooms.
Del notes that unfortunately many modern manufacturers know very little about pianos. Theyβre just copying old designs with not much understanding of the βwhyβ behind the design elements. Thus a manufacturerβs attempt at narrowing pianos and making such drastic changes can lead to the production of poorly performing pianos. Thus Del created Fandrich & Sons to pursue the creation of sleeker pianos informed by solid design principles.
In this episode, Del reveals a world of exploration remaining: better ways to build solid, sustainable soundboards for small and large pianos; the feasibility of manufacturing in China, Central, and Latin America, and much more.
Here's a little bit about our guest Del Fandrich:
Since 1960, Del Fandrich has evolved from a basic service technician to an independent rebuilder, manufacturer, and design consultant. He served as the Director of R&D with Baldwin and has consulted with brands like Charles Walter and Young Chang. Most recently he has been working with John Martin of Wertheim Piano to develop a totally new vertical piano. He has authored numerous papers on topics ranging from basic piano technology to advanced concepts in design and manufacturing. He continues to lecture globally as one of the most forward-thinking minds in the piano industry, maintaining several active research projects in his workshop in Olympia, WA.
ππππ ππ π ππ ππππ πππππ πππππππββ
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Piano Tech Radio Hour is brought to you by Piano Technicians Master. We provide cutting-edge piano technology instruction from piano industry masters without leaving your home, featuring monthly subscriptions, conventions, single live streaming, and recorded masterclasses. Learn advanced skills:
- How to tune pianos.
- How to repair pianos.
- How to rebuild pianos.
- How to tune concert pianos for the finest performers in the world.
Creators & Guests
Host
David Andersen
David Andersen, owner of David Andersen pianos in Los Angeles has been a professional musician, recording artist, and piano technician/consultant for nearly four decades. He has overseen the restoration and maintenance of hundreds of Steinway and Mason & Hamlin pianos during that time. Beginning in 1975 he apprenticed for two and a half years under Jack Cofer in Atlanta, Georgia; during the 1980s he studied at Steinway facilities both in New York and London.
Host
Eathan Janney
Eathan has 20 years of experience as a piano technician. He studied with Dave Miller, the staff piano technician for the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, New Jersey. Dave Carpenter, the inventor of the Verituner electronic tuning device, provided mentorship for Eathan in Chicago. Eathan also worked with Ken Eschete and Bill Schwarts, the staff piano technicians at Northwestern University in Chicago. In 2009, he founded Floating Piano Factory of New York, a company that allows piano technicians to move from Apprentice to Craftsman level while offering value pricing to clients as technicians progress toward mastery. In 2017 he founded Piano Technicians Masterclasses, an online project designed to offer cutting-edge instruction from piano industry masters to anyone on the globe with an internet connection.
DF
Guest
Del Fandrich
Since 1960, Del Fandrich has evolved from a basic service technician to an independent rebuilder, manufacturer, and design consultant. He served as the Director of R&D with Baldwin and has consulted with brands like Charles Walter and Young Chang. Most recently he has been working with John Martin of Wertheim Piano to develop a totally new vertical piano. He has authored numerous papers on topics ranging from basic piano technology to advanced concepts in design and manufacturing. He continues to lecture globally as one of the most forward-thinking minds in the piano industry, maintaining several active research projects in his workshop in Olympia, WA.
What is Piano Tech Radio Hour?
"Inspiring the Future of the Piano Tech Community"
Each Saturday at 2 pm ET we'll meet via video stream with a special guest.
In continuing support of you as a quarantined piano technician, and in your life beyond, it's another free resource brought to you by Piano Technicians Masterclasses.
For more information visit: http://www.pianotechradio.com