I've purchased an estonia 168. It's been in my home about a month and generally I enjoy the tone very much. My question is....

"Is it possible to bring out a section of a piano in volume without also causing it to sound brighter?"

The top end of this piano seems to be weak in power compared to the low end. Wondering if voicing would bring out the upper octaves beginning at C4 but I'm not sure I'd want it simply brighter. Thanks ahead of time. Cheers.

Hi peabody, and welcome to the Piano World forums!

I'm no pro, but I would say yes... but only by an experienced tech/voicer.

With that said, I'm thinking that hammers become harder on their own in time as we play the piano. Why don't you play it a while and see how the tone blossoms... you might be surprised.

Good luck.

Rick

Or it could be the tuning. Has it been tuned yet? I have found that after the piano has been given a good tuning, it sounds more lively, not brighter, but somewhat louder.

Hi Peabody,

I cannot hear your piano, but I can make some general comments.

All pianos are unbalanced by design, so achieving balance between the different registers is a goal for all makers. The bass will always be bigger, but I understand your concerns about the brightness of the treble.

I think a tech. may do best adjusting the entire piano (or at least more than just the area troubling you) to come up with an overall tone and balance you desire.

Do you have a tech. in mind?

I am hoping my comments were helpful. Clara Schumann's quote comes to mind - "Talking about music is like dancing about architecture."

Rotom...
has not been tuned since it has been in my home. Thanks for your input.

Thanks Rich...
The store I purchased from seems to be very reputable. They are coming out in a few weeks for tuning and voicing. I really just want the high end more forceful without making it harsh. Happy playing.

The answer to your question is yes. Assuming your observations are correct, the simplest thing that might help your piano is a good tuning. A new piano in a new environment, especially in winter, can get pretty out of tune in one month. Along with the tuning, other basics of prep can be addressed. The better the tech, the better the results. String leveling, fitting hammers to the strings, and regulation may also help you get more of what you want. This is basic work, but it takes time. Less basic would be finding a better strike point for the hammers in the upper register than the factory position. This can help a lot, unless the factory has found the perfect spot ( this is not always the case, even with the most expensive pianos ).
After all of that, if you are still wanting more, customizing the hammer weight can yield impressive improvement if the factory hammer weight is not ideal ( quite common in our experience even with the most expensive pianos)
We consider this part of voicing, but often, while voicing the piano, it will become evident to our techs that the hammers may not be the best weight.

You may also find that being patient, and playing the piano in more, and just having good quaity basic maintenance will yield much of the result for which you are looking. And as you get more used to your piano you may begin to accept some of the things that concerned you initially.
I would recommend trying to find the best local tech familiar with Estonias and while at the piano, discuss your concerns and goals. They probably work for your local Estonia dealer. Best of luck!

Keith...
Very helpful! Thanks for your time.

Do you mean, like plenty of people I know?

You are getting some great advice here.

Did the piano sound louder in the bass in the showroom when you tried it? I ask because one other thing to consider is the acoustics of the room.

If the piano is in a room with thick carpeting on the floor, acoustic tile on the ceiling, and heavy drapes covering much of the wall surfaces, you would have nearly all of the high-frequency reflections being absorbed and nearly all of the bass sounds being reflected. The sound in this room would be unpleasant: thick and boomy in the bass with little or no sense of spaciousness.

This may or not apply to you, but I thought I would put it out there.

Good luck!

Thanks Scotty...
my piano is in a 12x16 room with hardwood floors... there is a thick area rug in the room and a couch near that but nothing under the piano except hardwood...

A couple of tunings could make the difference you need. The top half of an Estonia Grand will wake up with very little encouragement.

Peabody, I see you are from NC and own an Estonia. If you purchased it from Ruggero Piano in Raleigh, you are in real good hands. They are expert technicians, and if it is do-able, they can do it!

Stanza...
yes, that's just where I purchased it. I feel like I'm in good hands there. I see you're in chapel hill. Have you bought from them as well?

Keith - your detailed post is absolutely correct, but likely not issues to deal with on a new Estonia 190, particularly from Richard Ruggero, wouldn't you agree?

Peabody - Keep us posted and I look forward to hearing good things.

Indeed I did! John is coming out in a couple of weeks to do some regulation and a tuning. The tuning is overdue on the calendar only, because it still sounds good too me. I think Estonias do a pretty good job of holding their tune. Enjoy!

living in blue heaven and owning the estonia...
and i thought i was lucky!

Rich, your observation about my post being absolutely correct is absolutely correct!



Peabody has a 168. Generally, the 168 has a strong upper register, but there are so many variables such as the room acoustic, the expectation and experience of the player, etc that I feel very good that Peabody bought his Estonia from a quality service oriented dealer such as Ruggero. I don't
think any good quality dealer or technician should be concerned with my post. I think it pretty clearly states that the most basic things ( time, playing it in, tuning, basic maintenance )are probably all that is needed, and also that should more be desired, there are options.

If Peabody is as reasonable in real life as he seems from his posts, I expect him to be nothing but delighted with his Estonia 168, especially as he works with a good tech from his dealer. The service after delivery is as important as the piano itself, and the way in which the piano is prepared.

Thanks much Keith.

Hi peabody,

I saw on our schedule that my father was out to do your warranty tuning.Just wanted to make sure all of your concerns were addressed. Enjoy the beautiful piano.