Terry, These piano are made in Belarus. They are indeed some of the lowest of the low. I had a new one move into our area. It was a console. All of the center pins were falling out. The parts were totally junk - there was no consistency as to the pinning. Some of the parts took a 2 size larger pin and some were 6-7 sizes. I repaired the piano - had to charge the customer as the seller had gone out of business - and then she dumped it and bought a good piano. Steve Grattan Lost Chord Clinic ----- Original Message ----- From: "pianolover 88" <pianolover88@hotmail.com> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2004 12:12 PM Subject: Re: low(est) end pianos > Anyone ever heard of "J. Becker"? Atlas shows last one was made around 1895, > but I worked on one that was purchased NEW about 5 years ago. My guess is > that it's korean or China built, and the original name was used. This is > just about the most Cheaply made (4'7") grand I've seen. The one thing I was > surprised to see was a lid lock! usually you don't see these on the > cheapies, as the company wants to cut corners wherever they can to cut cost. > This piano had so many problems i don't know where to start; let's just > suffice it to say the action was terribly inconsitent (piano not used much > to this point, and no wonder!) and even the tails of the angled hammers were > left UNsquared to the backchecks! Indeed, the backchecks instead were angled > in order to catch the tails! Alsmost ALL the backchecks were way to close, > "trapping" the hammer, and not allowing it to rise to the string, and > letoff, blow distance, jack height, reps....ALL were regualted differently > from one to the next. Screws were loose, holes stripped out, damper lift > wildly inconsistent, you name it! Even the top lid was off kilter. Company > who sold it to her went out of business-so much for the warranty. > > Terry Peterson > > > > ----Original Message Follows---- > From: Piannaman@aol.com > Reply-To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org> > To: pianotech@ptg.org > Subject: Re: low end pianos > Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 10:22:56 EST > > Admirable attitudes one and all. I share in it the vast majority of the > time. There are times, however, when just getting all the notes working > takes up > a fair share of the appointment time I've scheduled for the client. In > those > cases, time is the limiting factor, and I point out to the client that at > this > particular appointment, getting the piano functioning is the priority. > > On pianos where everything works at least reasonably well, I'm in total > agreement with y'all. It will probably be a far longer time between tunings > for > the economically challenged. And let's face it--if they can stretch the > budget > to pay (usually at a very discounted price) for piano servicing, they are > more > likely to appreciate your work than someone for whom their Steinway is just > another dust-collecting status symbol. > > Dave Stahl > > In a message dated 12/30/04 5:53:12 AM Pacific Standard Time, > hoffsoco@luther.edu writes: > > > > My attitude regarding the low end piano is the antithesis of a comment > I > > >read here on the list a few years ago: "I put a timer on the > piano and > > >when 45 minutes passes, the piano is tuned." > > > > > > >Mine too. > > > > > >Yes, it's harder to tune that beast, but I think no one would > argue the > > >fact that we tuners offer service to people. Some people own > > >Steinways. Some people own other pianos. > > > > > > >Case in point: I tune almost any piano within 15 minutes of my > house > > > (any farther and it s pretty much only good grands.) Today I tuned > a > > > Wurlitzer console; it was a neighbor s grandma s piano, with a > card from > > > Francis Mehaffey stuck in the top (Grandma lived in Claremont, CA, > where > > > Francis lived.) > > > > > >Anyway, I didn t just run through it, but tuned it as I would tune > a good > > >grand---slowly and carefully. > > > > > >When it was done, and I played it, the first thing out of my mouth > was > > >that s the best this little guy has ever sounded. > > > > > >A good, focused tuning can make a huge difference in a C grade > piano. > > Really. > > > > >David Andersen > > > > > > DEFINITELY!! > > > > The only reason that a tuning on a C-grade piano could take any less > time > > is that the point of diminishing returns is reached earlier. Usually, > it > > takes longer because of reasons we all know. > > > > My tuning is done when _I'm_ satisfied that it has the best tuning > possible. > > i.e. - I tune for my own pleasure... > > > > Questions I ask myself before I close up the piano: > > 1. Is it the best tuning the piano can take? > > 2. Is the piano in better condition (exclusive of tuning) than when I > found > > it? > > 3. Have I addressed all the concerns the customer may have voiced? > > > > > > > > > > > > Conrad Hoffsommer, RPT, MPT, CCT, PFP, ACS, CRS. > > Decorah, IA > > > > - Certified Calibration Technician for Bio-powered Digitally Activated > > Lever Action Tone Generation Systems. > > - Pianotech Flamesuit Purveyor > > - American Curmudgeon Society - Apprentice Member and Founder > > > > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >
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