Ok, where do you think we are going with this one: I got a call yesterday from a young woman who stated that she was a beginner/intermediate piano player. She and her dad looked at a Steinway baby grand piano that was 80 or 90 years old. Now she appears a tad ahead of the game (but only a teeny tiny tad) in that she asked me: "how much is it worth?", which was followed by "it is in fair condition, and I KNOW it needs REFINISHING" - "and how much does refinishing cost, because we want it completely redone". I gave her a very brief lecture about 10,000 little parts, all wood & felt & leather & compaction & cracks & warping, etc. and finished up with "one of the services I offer is to do a thorough pre-purchase inspection of the piano where I remove the action and inspect all the mechanisms and the strings, bridges, and soundboard, etc. - you may wish to consider scheduling an appointment." She responded: "OK, thank you very much" - "click". We'll see. Time will tell. How much you want to bet I get a call 2 months from now to tune a "completely rebuilt" Steinway baby grand that is all worn out and has a sloppy non-grain filled finish (hey, maybe even in ebony - that really has eye-appeal! - Maybe they will even spray the plate gold, and the tuning pins, and the agraffes, and the strings, and the bridges - boy the possibilities are endless). I guess all we can do is to try the best we can when presented the opportunity to educate someone about the piano - preferably before they have Mr. Ima Hack "rebuild" their piano. Terry Farrell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Servinsky" <tompiano@gate.net> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2001 6:13 AM Subject: Re: SOJ > Diane, > The description "completely rebuilt" has become my pet peeve when > describing what work has actually been done. Like you, Ron , and others who > have put their 2cents to work on this thread, I get a big turn-off at the > very mention of a new customer telling me their piano has been "completely > rebuilt". My enthusiasm has been crumbled too many times at the hopes that > maybe one of these times the customer actually, in fact, had the piano > "completely rebuilt". However, my blame doesn't go any further than the > tuner/ technician....and I use the word technician very loosely, who sold > the bill of goods in the first place. There's still a huge void in this > industry establishing any type of across-the-board standardizations, thus > when Elmer Fudd saz this wasklely pianer needs wepletely rebuilt, the > results speak for themselves. > I have a found way, though, which generally indicates over the phone > conversation if and when a customer actually had had the work completely > done. Those who have spent a tremendous amounts of money on an incredible > rebuilt, generally searched thoroughly for the right person to do the work. > After the work was completed they won't let just anybody touch the piano. > They are much more selective and careful as to who they let to work on the > instrument. Their phone conversation usually takes on the form of an > interview...they doing the interviewing. Then I have a hunch that in fact, > they had the piano rebuilt. > Tom Servinsky,RPT > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Diane Hofstetter" <dianepianotuner@hotmail.com> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2001 12:33 AM > Subject: Re: SOJ > > > > From: > > > > Diane Hofstetter > > 245-M Mount Hermon Rd.#343 > > Scotts Valley, CA 95066 > > ph 831-438-6222 > > fax 831-430-9741 > > dianepianotuner@hotmail.com > > > > It's almost a certainty that "this isn't a fix, but it will get > > >you going temporarily", will morph in the customer's mind until it glows > in > > >the dark as "COMPLETE REBUILD". . > > > > > >Ron N > > > > I've had customers tell me "My valuable antique upright has been > completely > > refelted" and found 11 damper felts replaced; "My husband gave me this > > antique Steinway upright, completely rebuilt, as a wedding gift" (it had > one > > piece of pretty, new felt woven in and out along the top line of the bass > > bridge pins, just barely covering the large crack); "This grand was just > > completely rebuilt, now I need to have it refinished" (it had one piece of > > pretty red felt covering the crack in the plate!, nothing else done to > it). > > > > I came to the conclusion that if they have spent anything over $200 on > > repairs to the piano, in their minds it is "completely rebuilt". > > > > Diane > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp > > >
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