---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
Friends,
Some of you expressed interest in knowing more about The Original
Bluebook of Pianos (subtitled The $$$ Source for Buying and Selling New
and Used PIanos) by Bob Furst. I received this book a couple weeks ago
and am willing to give you some of my impressions, probably a lot more
than you ever wanted to know. No problem -- it only took me two hours
to write this. <G> If others bought the book and wish to give their
impressions or need to correct anything I wrote here, I would welcome
that.
If interested: web site - www.bluebookofpianos.com
email - Rdpublishing@aol.com
--R&D Publishing Company, 9463 West 77th Place, Arvada, CO 80005-4033
If you buy this book allow up to six weeks for delivery.
The Bluebook apparently was originally intended to give information to
individuals seeking to buy a piano. Parts of it currently would be
useful only to members of the piano industry.
For those who don't want to read all the stuff below, I'm sorta glad I
bought the book but I'm not sure how much I'll really use it. It was
worth the money to me to see what it was (about $40, I think). It's
about an inch thick, 8 1/2 X 11 inch format. The pages may be
photocopies and are punched and held together in a fiberboard binder.
My copy has a couple duplicate pages in the wrong places as if someone
got mixed up putting the book together, and at least a little of the
text is missing. Some pages are printed on one-side only, then suddenly
they will start to be printed on both sides. It would be easy to
believe that the books are put together one at a time when an order is
received. I found the grammatical and typographical errors unnerving.
If you buy this book I can't foresee how you will react to its
contents. On the plus side, some of the historical information on
various name brands may be difficult or impossible to find anywhere
else. On the minus side, you may take strong exception to some but not
necessarily all of the opinions printed. And I have no way of judging
historical or factual accuracy. But I figured it's worth the gamble
since I guess I'm in this business for the long haul, and even if you
wish later you hadn't plunked down your hard-earned greenbacks, it's not
like you're making a major investment. You might even find some parts
amusing; I did.
Layout and Content
Forward/History of the Piano - about 12 pages beginning before
Pythagoras and including the dulcimer, spinet, clavicytherium, and the
invention of the pianoforte. The last half concentrates on the last two
centuries.
The Art and Science of Buying a Piano - about 21 pages giving
information to the general public (all text) on piano construction,
where to find pianos for sale, touch, tone, etc.
The Gay Nineties to the Great Depression - 1889-1929 - 90+ pages listing
piano name brands of the period alphabetically, followed by some stars,
usually three to six. I was unable to find the significance of the
stars. Each name is followed by information, anywhere from a single
line to a half page (and on rare occasions even more), on the name brand
and frequently includes remarks on quality. I would think this section
would be of great interest to those who are interested in pianos of this
era, and I haven't seen anything quite like this anywhere else. Is it
authoritative and accurate? Good question. Maybe, maybe not; I have no
way of knowing.
The Great Depression to the Asian Invasion - 1930-1959 - 30+ pages.
Brief historical introduction to the period, followed by entries in the
same format as the former section. If a piano is still in production,
it may be listed in more than one section of the book. Since I run
across some of the pianos described here, I wonder if some of the
information was supplied by the companies who made the pianos. Some
descriptions seem to me to be very kind for what we perceive the pianos
to be. (Asian invasion?!)
The Asian Invasion to the Information Age - 1960-1979 - 40+ pages. Same
format. Why does Kawai get only three lines while Kimball gets almost a
page and a half? There is no connection between the amount of material
included and the quality of the piano described.
The "Grand" brand name gets a page. Quote: "Grand feels they
offer an instrument most suited to the mass music market simply because
they have developed a precision built piano with a fine sound, in a
beautifully finished and styled cabinet to be sold at a price that
enables more people to place a marvelous musical instrument in the
home." Hm. Not quite the way I would say it.
The Information Age to the Millenium - 1980-2000 - 30+ pages, same
format.
Pro-Net Discounts, Lease Return, and Residual Piano Prices - about five
pages I do not understand. Depending on your slice of piano business, I
reckon you will.
Price Schedule for Used Pianos Based on Condition - 9 pages. For a
number of makes and models, lists five prices which are:
rebuilt/refinished/like new, refurbished, excellent, good, and fair
conditions. What shall I use as an illustration? Maybe the 45" Baldwin
-- chances are nearly all of us have run into those. R&R, $3,065;
Refur, $2,550; excellent, $2,350; good, $2,500; fair, $1,510. The
suggested prices are based on condition only; age is not mentioned
anywhere that I can see.
1998-1999 Retail Prices, Now to be Used as Lease Return - about 16
pages. You know if this section interests you. (Does anyone really
lease a 9' Bosendorfer?)
Serial Numbers Identify Approximate Year of Manufacture - 11 pages.
Believe it or not, has some serial numbers Pierce doesn't.
2000-2001 New Piano Prices - 60+ pages. Same idea as Ancott.
Glossary - 4+ pages. Primarily piano parts, some theory and a little
other stuff mixed in.
Okay, so it's up to you to decide if any of this is of interest to you.
Regards,
Clyde Hollinger, RPT
---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/66/8e/b8/05/attachment.htm
---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC