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. They’re just copying old designs with not much understanding of the “why” behind the design elements. Thus a manufacturer’s 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.
𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍 𝐔𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓❗❗
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