Robert wrote: > With all this talk about how awful Betsy Ross pianos are I'm > surprised that no one has yet mentioned my #1 hated PSO/POS > piano. I am of course referring to those spinets and > consoles that were produced by the Kincade Furniture company > marketed under the name "Grand". I would never dare overlook such a gem. Look below at a previous post of mine! Terry Farrell wrote: >I beg your pardon! The Lester "Betsy Ross" spinet was an average quality >spinet. It far surpasses the quality level of others like the "Grand" spinet >and Aeolean products. Of course, far surpassing these is not saying much. I >made a great regulating bench out of a free Betsy Ross. Great bench, even >greater sound when you drop a tool on it! (The back is the top of the table >& I left all strings on!) The top made a nice shelf, and the knee board, >several shelves. I have another nice shelf with a front lip made from the >fall board. The possibilities are endless! >I say, if you have a shop - don't work on it - make it work for you! Those were little gems, weren't they? Fortunately I don't run into very many of them. When making a tuning appt. with a new client, I always ask what type of piano they have - I'm looking for vertical or grand. They say "Grand" and silly me, I think they have a grand. Ask how old - "oh, not very old". Cool. What a nasty sinking feeling one gets when you walk into the home a see that warped, wretched little PSI (piano shaped impostor) lurking against the wall, just waiting to mess with you. AAAARRRRRGGGGG! Terry Farrell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Goodale" <rrg@nevada.edu> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 10:50 AM Subject: Kincade "grand" <was Betsy Ross> > With all this talk about how awful Betsy Ross pianos are I'm > surprised that no one has yet mentioned my #1 hated PSO/POS > piano. I am of course referring to those spinets and > consoles that were produced by the Kincade Furniture company > marketed under the name "Grand". With plywood sound boards, > (literally), particle board cabinets, keys that look like > they were cut out with a pocket knife, cheep bushing cloth > inserted into oversized holes, and a stringing scale that > changes sizes perhaps three times in the entire piano, the > Kincade "grand" spinet has every PSO I have ever encountered > beat by a mile! My favorite feature are the tuning pins. > Each one had it's own angle, often various degrees downward > toward the action! These "pianas" were sold through > furniture stores, not music stores. They were intended as > cheep impulse purchase items for people decorating their > home and thought that a piano might enhance the look of > things. They were functional, (sometimes), but that's about > it. I've heard early 1980's vintage casio toy compact > keyboards that sounded better! > > Rob Goodale, RPT > Las Vegas, NV >
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