Rebuilding Ripoff

[Farrell]

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A term like "completely rebuilt" can indeed be wide-ranging and mean =
different things to different folks. However, $9K for a sub-basic paint =
job, new strings and new keytops is nothing short of a rip-off IMHO.=20

Also, the piano owners had replacement insurance - they could have gone =
out and had their insurance company buy them a new $14K piano - but she =
had grown attached to the old Schubert and the task at hand for the =
rebuilder was to make the piano like new - completely rebuild it! She =
got ripped-off royally - misled, defrauded and ripped-off!

Terry Farrell
  Richard, the "Piano Guy" wrote:


  Sometimes its hard to say where the term "completely rebuilt" comes =
from. I have clients who use that term, after I replaced a few hard =
dampers, and tuned it. They call me and say you 'rebult" my piano last =
year, can you come and tune it. I am not sure how that happens. But I do =
know I come across 1st time clients that tell me old so and so rebuilt =
my piano and put in all new felt. How much did that cost I ask. Claiming =
she spent over a thousand, I dont have the ehart to tell them all that =
got replaced was bridle straps. I guess what I am saying is, sometimes =
its the client, sometimes its the tech who did the dirty worjk. IMHO.

  Farrell <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:=20
    I know. We've all seen 'em. But I still am dumbfounded each time I =
run across a really bad one like the following:

    Went to tune a 90-year-old Schubert microgrand today. Lady said it =
was hard to control the action. I told her it was because her action had =
90 years worth of wear (except for new keytops) and was way out of =
regulation- likely never regulated. Brought it to my shop today for a =
full action regulation and refurbishing.

    The piano had been recently refinished (no grain filling, no =
rub-out), restrung (no bridge work, coils half-inch above plate, coils =
not tight, etc.) and most damper felts replaced (several were orginals =
or used, a couple flat felts in bass, lengths very irregular, etc). =
Original pinblock, no bridge work, action completely original and never =
regulated (key leveling looked like I-75 going into the foothills of the =
Appalacian Mountains), keypins are severely rusted - key bushings are =
toast.

    Lady told me the piano had been "completely rebuilt" 8 years ago. It =
had been subject to some water damage and their insurance paid for the =
"complete rebuild". And she thought it was a good deal because the =
rebuilder said the replacement value was $14,000 and he was only =
charging $9,000 for the rebuild. Before she told me those fees, she =
asked me what had been done to the piano (after I told her the action =
was all original) and what I would have charged for the work that had =
been done. I told her it had been refinished, restrung and new keytops =
installed - that's all -  and that if I were to do those tasks as had =
been done, I would charge about $3,500. She appeared somewhat =
shell-shocked.

    What a ripoff. Sad.

    Terry Farrell
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