Why do some say pianos have a limited lifespan?
In part, this is because over time, pianos require maintenance and renewal of some of their parts to sound their best. Also, don’t forget that modern manufacturers want you to buy a new piano for obvious reasons! Moreover, 20th century piano soundboards are often under intense compressive forces in the quest for power. This can damage the wood fibers of the soundboard over time with a consequent degradation in resonating capability. This is NOT TRUE of 19th century soundboards since the piano design did not call for such high compression. Judging by their wonderful sound, PianoGrands instruments are still very much alive!
