First 108 Key Grand Piano...

[miden]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-15/worlds-first-108-key-concert-grand-piano-built-by-australian/10246340

 

Sorry I don't know how to post the whole story and pics here Can only do the link..

[Doerfler]

'Made with ancient Tasmanian Huon pine" :idk

Pine?

 

OK, Dennis, please educate me. I'm ready.

 

[Markay]

I sense a hint of incredulous here.

 

So here is the Wiki link

 

From Wiki

 

"The wood is highly prized for its golden yellow colour, fine grain, and natural oils that resist rotting. The chemical giving the timber its unique smell and preservative qualities is methyl eugenol."

 

"Huon pines are some of the oldest living organisms on the Earth"

 

"It is often known as the Huon pine or Macquarie pine, although it is actually a podocarp (Podocarpaceae), not a true pine."

 

Some are over 2,000 years and up to 3,000 years old. It only grows in the impenetrable south west corner of Tasmania.

 

One stand of the species has been made available for access to craft wood from dead and downed timber under a strict licensing system. It is illegal to cut living trees.

 

In the past the timber has been highly prized, particularly by boat builders.

 

At $300,000 each these 108 key grands are hand built using one of the worlds most valuable timbers in factory in the town of Tumut near the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, which is the general direction of Dennis's neck of the woods.

[Bobby Simons]

Mr Stuart's message to the doubters: "The new range is nine octaves. Get used to it!"

 

Perhaps overstating it a bit, but Id love to play one.

[Synthoid]

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/10248930-3x2-700x467.jpg

 

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/10248964-3x2-700x467.jpg

 

 

 

[jefsco]

 

doesnt look as imposing as youd think it would

 

 

[rickzjamm]

Hints of Korg's Austrian Grand?

[Tom Williams]

The following is conjecture, which I probably shouldn't do, but heck, I still want to reach 1000 posts by the new year.

 

I've played on a Bosendorfer Imperial, and was unimpressed with the bottom below low F -- it sounded like a grade-B Foley artist's Laser sound effect. Unless the lower octave's string is somehow struck nearer the middle of the string, I don't expect the sound to be that pretty.

 

Similarly, I have my doubts regarding the musical usefulness of the extra top octave (assuming that's how the range is distributed).

 

That said, the wood looks gorgeous.

 

[Bobby Simons]

Until the repertoire catches up to 'the new normal', I don't think I need one.

 

In the meantime, I will take a 9 octave midi controller.

[hurricane hugo]

[font:Comic Sans MS]c'mon, Powerball![/font]

[miden]

My thanks to Markay for taking the question from Dave, I was out working til late last night, well early this morning as it is right now haha!

 

I'm not sure if I cold even get one into my house, but it sure is a beautiful piece of gear!

 

[Doerfler]

My thanks to Markay for taking the question from Dave

 

mine also.

[CEB]

I like the idea. On original stuff I use the transposer (-4 to -6) all the time on soft pianos to bring thunder on the bottom end.

[MotiDave]

I sense a hint of incredulous here.

 

So here is the Wiki link

 

From Wiki

 

"The wood is highly prized for its golden yellow colour, fine grain, and natural oils that resist rotting. The chemical giving the timber its unique smell and preservative qualities is methyl eugenol."

 

"Huon pines are some of the oldest living organisms on the Earth"

 

"It is often known as the Huon pine or Macquarie pine, although it is actually a podocarp (Podocarpaceae), not a true pine."

 

Some are over 2,000 years and up to 3,000 years old. It only grows in the impenetrable south west corner of Tasmania.

 

One stand of the species has been made available for access to craft wood from dead and downed timber under a strict licensing system. It is illegal to cut living trees.

 

In the past the timber has been highly prized, particularly by boat builders.

 

At $300,000 each these 108 key grands are hand built using one of the worlds most valuable timbers in factory in the town of Tumut near the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, which is the general direction of Dennis's neck of the woods.

If the Southwest corner of Tasmania is impenetrable, how did they even know they are there, much less harvest these magical trees for wood?

 

Otherwise, it sounds like too many keys to me. Show offs

[o0Ampy0o]

I sense a hint of incredulous here.

 

So here is the Wiki link

 

From Wiki

 

"The wood is highly prized for its golden yellow colour, fine grain, and natural oils that resist rotting. The chemical giving the timber its unique smell and preservative qualities is methyl eugenol."

 

"Huon pines are some of the oldest living organisms on the Earth"

 

"It is often known as the Huon pine or Macquarie pine, although it is actually a podocarp (Podocarpaceae), not a true pine."

 

Some are over 2,000 years and up to 3,000 years old. It only grows in the impenetrable south west corner of Tasmania.

 

One stand of the species has been made available for access to craft wood from dead and downed timber under a strict licensing system. It is illegal to cut living trees.

 

In the past the timber has been highly prized, particularly by boat builders.

 

At $300,000 each these 108 key grands are hand built using one of the worlds most valuable timbers in factory in the town of Tumut near the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, which is the general direction of Dennis's neck of the woods.

If the Southwest corner of Tasmania is impenetrable, how did they even know they are there, much less harvest these magical trees for wood?

 

Otherwise, it sounds like too many keys to me. Show offs

To understand how this could be use the secondary definition of impenetrable: incomprehensible. I find all of Australia incomprehensible....... the barbi gudday teddy bear sized bears? those hopping boxing deer things?

[SeaGtGruff]

Isn't there supposed to be another C key at the far right end, making it a 109-key pine-an-oh?

[miden]

..........

If the Southwest corner of Tasmania is impenetrable, how did they even know they are there, much less harvest these magical trees for wood?

 

Otherwise, it sounds like too many keys to me. Show offs

 

The Huon Pine used to be pretty much all across the southern parts of Tasmania. However it was a highly sought after timber for furniture making in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, so much so that it was almost wiped out. It is only thanks to the very much impenetrable south-west that any remains at all!!

 

The folks in those times (for the most part) weren't really concerned about conservation.

[GRollins]

So let me ask a question that I'm sure will invite the derision of the more knowledgeable:

 

Why is it that pianos have never adopted pedaled notes, in the manner of pipe organs?

 

Don't tell me it's because pianos have sustain pedals, etc. Surely someone could pedal notes with one foot and traditional pedals with the other. I also seem to recall seeing pictures of a massive pipe organ somewhere (Europe?) that had some sort of controls at the foot level. I'm assuming that they're stops of some sort, but if someone can master that, they can master a piano with pedals.

 

Yes, you'd need to practice in order to get dynamics right. Organs are simple on/off instruments and pianos require a more nuanced touch, but still...I would think that there are players out there who would relish the challenge.

 

Grey

[SeaGtGruff]

I don't understand what you'd be pedaling? On an organ the pedal is for swells, so that wouldn't have any relevance to a piano. Or do you mean a pedalboard, which would also be kind of funky on a piano-- a scaled graded hammer-action piano pedalboard, imagine that! Talk about giving your legs a good workout.

[Mighty Motif Max]

I don't understand what you'd be pedaling? On an organ the pedal is for swells, so that wouldn't have any relevance to a piano. Or do you mean a pedalboard, which would also be kind of funky on a piano-- a scaled hammer-action piano pedalboard, imagine that! Talk about giving your legs a good workout.

 

 

Here you go!

 

https://www.klaviano.com/pianos-for-sale/borgato/doppio/borgato-doppio-397718.html

 

[video:youtube]

 

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Here you go!

 

Holy moley! And I was just jesting! That was awesome.

[re Pete]

I remember there being a clash of culture reading about Tasmania. A part of the people wanted to cash in and clear cut forests while others protested. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I hope things are not out of control conservation wise.

I wrote a letter to their politicians after reading about the plans to exploit the forests couple years ago. Hope conservation is still strong there as it's really beautiful country.

 

 

[GRollins]

I don't understand what you'd be pedaling? On an organ the pedal is for swells, so that wouldn't have any relevance to a piano. Or do you mean a pedalboard, which would also be kind of funky on a piano-- a scaled hammer-action piano pedalboard, imagine that! Talk about giving your legs a good workout.

 

 

Here you go!

 

https://www.klaviano.com/pianos-for-sale/borgato/doppio/borgato-doppio-397718.html

 

[video:youtube]

 

 

Yeah, that...

 

Why is that not done more often?

 

Obviously, there's expense involved, but if someone can afford the cost of the OP's 108 key piano, then it should be a doable proposition to offer a piano with pedaled notes. My thinking was that the low notes on the 108, being exceedingly deep, would be similar to the low pedal notes on a pipe organ, so why not play them with your feet, which would relieve your hands of having to cover so much real estate.

 

For those familiar with stringed instruments, consider the harp guitar as an analogy. Playing drone notes on the fixed strings augments the melody played on the "regular" guitar neck.

 

Yes, there would be some mechanical elements to be sorted out, but if they can do the job on an ad hoc basis for the performance in the video, then surely a more permanent, elegant design solution can be found.

 

I can't see why it would be physically demanding. If you can play a low note with one finger, then having the weight and musculature of an entire leg/foot should make the effort trivial.

 

Mentally demanding? Definitely. Coordination problems? Undoubtedly--at least at first. And yet I've seen videos of organists who were virtually dancing on the pedals. I would think that someone versed in that should make short work of a piano w/pedaled notes. Their main problem, I would think, would be learning to play with dynamic moderation, rather than pounding every note into the floor. Still, I'd think it would be something that would be seen fairly regularly in larger concert halls that could afford the instrument.

 

But...nothing...

 

Bummer. I'd love to see and hear such a thing.

 

Grey

[Markay]

I remember there being a clash of culture reading about Tasmania. A part of the people wanted to cash in and clear cut forests while others protested. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I hope things are not out of control conservation wise.

I wrote a letter to their politicians after reading about the plans to exploit the forests couple years ago. Hope conservation is still strong there as it's really beautiful country.

 

 

Well the conservationists won that battle. Tasmania is a stronghold of the Green political party who are a major force in the state. The promoter of the wood chip industry in that battle, Gunns, went into liquidation with criminal proceedings launched against its directors over insider trading.

 

As tourism, and in particular eco-tourism, is the number one industry in Tasmania, which otherwise has a pretty depressed economy compared to other Australian states, the conservation aspect gets a lot of attention when it comes up against those who are pro-development.

[mate stubb]

If I was going to pay a zillion dollars for a piano, I certainly wouldn't want its case to look like a parquet floor. It's ugly.

[CowboyNQ]

I remember there being a clash of culture reading about Tasmania.

Although far from an expert on the Apple Isle, from visits there I can report there is a definite clash of culture. Northerners drink Boag's, while Southerners swear by Cascade.

 

Personally I enjoy both and express a preference for neither, as Tasmanians are tough b@stards who play Australian football on asphalt. They're great people, but not to be trifled with.

[CEB]

Wasn't Chopper Read from Tasmania?

[CowboyNQ]

Chopper was a Melburnian as far as I'm aware however the swashbuckling Errol Flynn hailed from Tassie.

[hurricane hugo]

If I was going to pay a zillion dollars for a piano, I certainly wouldn't want its case to look like a parquet floor. It's ugly.

 

[font:Comic Sans MS]I think it's gorgeous in a rustic way.[/font]

[Bobby Simons]

I stand corrected - apparently there IS repertoire for this instrument, albeit somewhat lmited.