---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Hi, David, Truly music to my ears! These are the things that make and keep us human. Cecil was a genius, pure and simple. Glad you made contact with Mike, too...good man! (Hi, Mike!) Thanks very much for a truly wonderful Christmas gift! Best. Horace At 10:44 AM 12/12/2004, you wrote: >Hey my colleagues------ > > >Just thought I=92d share a little from the last week. I have a client, Don= =20 >Beamsley, who has been a well-known and successful jazz player in SoCal=20 >forever; he=92s played with every big band around, from Tommy Dorsey,= Horace=20 >Heidt, Glenn Miller, Tex Beneke----the list is endless; he was even the LA= =20 >Dodger organist for a while in the 60=92s and 70=92s. > >So=ADhe=92s got a sweet Steinway B that he was given by his mentor, a 1930= =20 >instrument. It was maintained throughout its life by mostly 2 legendary=20 >techs---first Cecil Short, the =93man=94 in the Pomona Valley for many= years,a=20 >nd then by Norman Neblett, an LA denizen and Golden Hammer=20 >recipient. I=92ve been maintaining the piano for the last 18 years. > >Anyway, you know the story---I=92ve been nagging this guy for years to do= =20 >the work: the piano=92s got all original parts and strings, and he=92s= always=20 >used the traditional procrastinating musician=92s excuses: =93 I just can= =92t=20 >pull the trigger now, DA---I can=92t be sure if I=92ll work this strong= next=20 >year, my wife=92s gig stopped this year, I need a new roof---=94whatever.= I=92m=20 >a life-long musician; I=92ve used them all. > >He is so sweet, and so funny, and such a monstrously beautiful player, and= =20 >I=92m such a soft touch in a certain way, that I made it no problem, and=20 >just kept bringing the damn Protek ( the verdigris was out of control on=20 >this pig). > >To make a long, long story very short, Don now has Class 3 Parkinson=92s=20 >Disease, has for 2 years, has lost 90 pounds, and his prognosis is=20 >delicate, to put it mildly. But he still rolls himself up to the piano=20 >and plays for an hour or so every day. > >So a month ago I took his wife in the other room and just said now=92s the= =20 >time, sweetie, for the bullshit to cease and for us to do=20 >something. So---because her cash flow at this point is questionable, we=20 >opted for the battlefield triage: >--Rebuilt keyframe: key bushing, underfelt, backchecks and wires, clean=20 >and polish rail pins and captstans and glides, raise height and level keys >--repinned shanks, =93smoked-out=94 whippen flanges >--new knuckles >--rebuilt pedals and pedal mod >--hammers filed (very difficult and dicey) >--lift, level, seat strings >--COMPLETE action regulation >--RP and tune > >THANKS SO MUCH, MICHAEL CAMPI. You did a great job on the keyframe,=20 >pedals, knuckles and shanks. > >When I FINALLY got the damn thing playing =93right---=94 and that took= almost=20 >2 full days--- >Don rolled up and started playing; we were both crying. He loved it; he=20 >called me =93a friggin=92 genius.=94 > >This is what I work for; this is what I live for; I did the work at about= =20 >65% of what I would ordinarily charge; >The money is NOT the payoff. > >To bring love and happiness to music lovers, music players, human beings=20 >with sweet hearts and beautiful intentions: this is what this work is all= =20 >about. I=92m feeling good. > >My love and respect to all..... >David Andersen ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/e1/e0/f7/ff/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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