I'm going to take another stab at the quality and condition area. Rather than try to combine the two, as I was doing a month or so ago, I'm thinking now that we need two categories, but that "quality" should change to "long term level of service" (I don't particularly like the phrase, and would welcome suggestions for an alternative). The idea is that we distinguish pianos based on what level of work (in the realm of rebuilding/reconditioning) they will actually receive over their lifetimes. To some extent this is constrained by what facilities and equipment are available at the institution. And some places do more rapid replacement, others farm out major rebuilding. So this is an attempt to account for these differences in a way that will more accurately predict actual workload. Long term level of service (0.4) Piano will receive complete rebuilding/remanufacturing, including new soundboard and bridges, and possibly new keyboard. (0.6) Piano will receive major rebuilding, including soundboard repair and new pinblock. (0.8) Piano will receive minor rebuilding, including restring with original pinblock, complete action parts replacement. (1.0) Piano will receive major reconditioning, including new hammers and possibly shanks/butts, major repinning. (1.2) Piano will receive minor reconditioning, filing hammers, rebushing keys, regulation. Note: pianos should be distinguished by the level of service they will receive over their lifetimes. Condition (1.3) - Excellent: Piano needs regular maintenance - regulation, tuning and voicing. (1.0) - Good: Piano needs minor reconditioning - hammer filing, key bushing, regulation, tuning, voicing. (0.8) - Good/Fair: Piano needs major reconditioning - hammer replacement, major action repinning, key re-bushing, regulation, tuning, voicing. (0.6) - Fair: Piano needs partial rebuilding - new hammers and other action parts, restringing, regulation, tuning and voicing. (0.4) - Fair/Poor: Piano needs major rebuilding - pin block, soundboard repair, new strings, tuning pins, action parts, regulation, tuning and voicing. (0.2) - Poor: Piano needs complete rebuild/remanufacture - new soundboard and bridges, pin block, new strings, tuning pins, action parts, regulation, tuning and voicing. Note: Categories Fair through Poor should only be applied to pianos that will receive the described level of work. A couple comments: if the multipliers look conservative, remember that they will be coupled - condition will be multiplied by level of long term service. And the idea here is to predict workload over the long haul - there's no assumption that all pianos will receive the work dictated by their condition except over a period of years. As always, comments and suggestions welcome, and, indeed, begged for. Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico
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