used up pianos

[Sy Zabrocki]

Ah yes, the Knight-Brinkerhoff upright. That name brings memories to me. =
I took piano lessons on one as a boy. About 1939 a man came to our town =
with the piano on the back of a coupe car. He had a rack which cranked =
down, letting the piano down to the ground. My mother gave the man $90 =
for the piano.

In 1951 I was drafted into the army because of the Korean War. While in =
the army my mother sold the piano and at the time I couldn't care less. =
Then when I entered the piano business I was curious about this piano. =
One day back in this town my brother said he knew it's owner. As a boy I =
was guilty of taking a beer can opener and prying off a corner of an =
ivory head. Sure enough, there was the chipped ivory. The piano was dark =
oak but by now someone had painted it with a tan paint. Ugg! It wasn't a =
good piano, very bad crack in the bass bridge.

Sy Zabrocki

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From: 	James Grebe[SMTP:pianoman@inlink.com]
Sent: 	Sunday, May 04, 1997 8:54 AM
To: 	pianotech@byu.edu
Subject: 	used up pianos

Dear List,
	Just Friday I tuned for a lady with an old Knight-Brinkerhoff upright.=20
When I was there  about 2 years ago the piano was shot: loose pins,
severely wobbling hammers, etc. It was so bad that I didn't even save =
her
3X5 index card for my file and deleted her out of my computer..  Here =
she
calls and makes a tuning appointment with me on last Friday.  When I got
there the house looked a little familiar.  Same problems except worse.=20
Nice house, nice neighborhood, nice lady, dead piano.  I tuned it once
again the best I could with pins that could not hold.  I realized why I
couldn't find her in my file of past customers.  I went through the same
litany as last time.  Maam, you are wasting your money with lesson, and =
you
are in danger of poisoning your kids musical future.  I talked for about =
10
minutes I'm sure saying the same things I told her last time.
	I realize now that I am not as good as a salesman (putting across a
believable point) as I thought.  I lost, she lost, her kid lost, but I =
am
still $60 richer.  oh well.
James Grebe from St. Louis
pianoman@inlink.com