Temperaments

[Ron Nossaman]

Hi Ralph,

Personally (and I'm not trying to drag someone else into this to divert fire
from me {really, I'm not}), I think Del has the right idea. The
(manufactured) piano has evolved very little in the last hundred years.
There is no valid reason, other than ignorance, hard-headedness, and
corporate stupidity, that pianos aren't much better than the examples of the
state of the art we see in the dealer showrooms. Almost without exception,
in my opinion, "top of the line" pianos could be produced at a much higher
performance level, and at no greater price, than they are today. The state
of the piano industry today is the fault of the product of the piano
industry. There are plenty of aphorisms to the effect that nobody ever went
broke underestimating the taste and intelligence of the average consumer.
That sort of attitude works fine for a short while (outside of politics and
educational systems, where it will work forever). Eventually, contempt
breeds cynics as people tire of spending too much money for too little
quality. Blue light specials will only take a retailer so far as one trusted
name after another cuts quality and loses market share chasing the
middle-to-low end of the market. Eventually, the small percentage of the
buying public who are equipped to equate quality with cost are going to see
the futility of playing a game they can't win and settle for Duke Nuke-em.
If, on the other hand, a manufacturer could present a reasonably priced
instrument that SOUNDS as good, or better, than an unreasonably over priced
one, we might be looking at a little different situation. Imagine a market
competition based on acoustic sound production for the money, rather than
price, furniture, and snob appeal. Right! Trust me.

In other words, increase the quality. Don't narrow the choices. That, such
as it is, is my opinion. 

Cheers, Ron



At 08:27 PM 1/25/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Les and Ron
>Piano sales are most surely shrinking. I don't think they will diminish
>to the point of equaling violin sales numbers though.
>
>Maybe the manufacturers will tool down to the point where each builds
>maybe two upper end grands and three or four uprights making it feasible
>for them to continue production for quite some time based on a six model
>line.
>
>Watcha think?
>
>Ralph Martin..
>>


 Ron Nossaman