What is "Flagpoling?"

[Les Smith]

On Thu, 25 Dec 1997, Tom Cole wrote:

> 
> Well said, Les. Nothing brought home your point better than tuning a
> Steinway grand for a new customer recently. I guess I must automatically
> get into S&S mode when I see the logo on the fallboard because I was
> surprised, and pleasantly so, by how easy it was to tune. Noticing that
> the piano was not bushing-less, I asked the owner about it and he
> reported that the rebuilder had gone to the trouble of drilling out the
> plate holes to accept plate bushings. And now it tunes like a Yamaha. 

Hi, Tom.

A word of warninng, I'm afraid. The next time you write a post which
contains such a revolutionary GREAT IDEA, it might be wise to preface
it with a cautionary note, something like: CAUTION! THE FOLLOWING POST
COULD BE DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH! What I have in mind is this.

It's the holiday saeson right now, and it's entirely possible that some
members are reading their e-mail while enjoying a drink of their favorite
"Holiday Cheer". A serious problem could arise for some if they happened
to be taking a sip of their drink at the same moment that they were read-
ing the last sentence of your post--"And now it tunes like a Yamaha"! The
choking and gagging that might ensue could be serious enough that they
might require medical attention. So a warning probably would have been a
good idea. :)

Personally, I think it's a GREAT IDEA and would like to see it adopted
UNIVERSALLY. First, maybe we could get OSHA to issue a report that stated
that piano technicians enjoyed longer, happier, healthier and more pro-
ductive lives when they weren't forced to endure the stress caused by
having to deal with the troublesome, flag-poling tuning pins found in
pianos which didn't use plate bushings. Jumping on the band-wagon, Stein-
way might then issue a retroactive warranty that would cover every piano
they ever built which didn't have plate bushings. Under terms of that war-
ranty ALL those pianos could be returned to the factory at Steinway's
expense, where their plates would be drilled out, fitted with plate bush-
ing and then repinned, restrung and then returned to the owner'e with-
out any charge whatsoever. Imagine what a great public relations move
it would be to admit their mistake after all these years?! 

Unfortunately, like many GREAT IDEAS, this one will never come to pass,
and it all comes down to one thing: ego. Tell me, can you imagine a Stein-
way salesman (or is that sales associate, account executive, or investment
advisor?) laying his hand on top of a $20,000 upright and saying to the
prospect (excuse me, potential investor!) "Yes sir, Mr. Big-Bucks, you'll
certainly be pleased to know that due to recent technological break-
throughs and manufacturing innovations, our top-of-the-line K-52 upright
here now tunes up JUST LIKE A YAMAHA?! :) In a word,"No way, Jose." Okay,
three words! You can see the potential problem, though, huh?

Nevertheless, I still like YOUR great idea--certainly more than I liked
that OTHER great idea. You know, the one about solving that old, pesky,
rattling lock problem by eliminating the locks altogether! Wouldn't it
be poetic justice if someday they found out that the rattling noise
wasn't coused by the locks at all, but by unbushed tuning pins rattling
against the plate?! :)

Anyway, I enjoyed your post, even if it didn't have a cautionary warn-
ing attached. Reading over this one, I guess I probably should have
attached a warning to this post, too, huh? You know, something like:
Caution: This post could be dangerous to MY health! Enough, already. 

Best Wishes for the New Year to All,

Les Smith