acrosonic wippens, anyone?

[Andrew and Rebeca Anderson]

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I agree with Terry here.  You must qualify what the results will be 
before starting on such a piano.  Otherwise you'll have the 
son-in-law come by and tell her how she was ripped-off and how it 
sure doesn't sound like the Steinway at church.  I have done pianos 
where the tuning charge exceeded the value of the piano.  I told them 
that it would before tuning it and they said they'd try a tuning and 
decide from there.  Their choice, but at least I made it their choice.

Andrew

At 08:43 PM 10/26/2005, you wrote:
>Exactly William. My original post recounted several times I have 
>resuscitated pianos that arguably should have been allow to die. I 
>just did a elbow replacement and 200-cent-pitch-raise and tuning on 
>a 1955 Gulbransen spinet today. After I was done she had a crappy 
>little piano that played and was more-or-less in-tune. Her dad 
>bought the piano new for her when she was 18 years old. I charged 
>$475. For $475 she could have replaced that piano with a 20-year-old 
>console that would have sounded and played significantly better than 
>her piano. For under $2K she could have replaced that piano with a 
>used entry-level professional-grade very-good-condition piano (like 
>a Yamaha P-22 studio). I explained these options to her and she 
>elected to resuscitate the spinet. I did the work with a smile on my 
>face (especially when she handed me the check!), she was thrilled 
>that her little buddy was breathing again, and I'm not kidding - I 
>almost gave this grandma a big hug when I left because we had such 
>nice chats and she was such a sweetie (didn't - just thought it wasn't right).
>
>Anyway, fix crappy pianos? Sure! Cha-ching!!! But I think we would 
>be remiss if we didn't educate the piano owner of the benefit/cost 
>aspect of their decision. That's all.
>
>Although I have run across a few pianos that I would not touch. Not 
>because I thought I was above them, but rather because I knew that 
>any band-aids I applied to them would still not result in a 
>functional piano. Ya gotta draw the line somewhere.....
>
>Terry Farrell
>
>----- Original Message -----
> > William, who just outguessed the next person in line (me),
> >
> > Or perhaps more appropriately, who did not read what I wrote very well.
> >
> > Um, yes.  This is precisely what I was referring to when I wrote that, "All
> > I'm saying is give them all the options clearly, and if they still want to
> > pay big bucks for a mediocre instrument, I'm happy to oblige."
> >
> > I repeat, I feel strongly that we should give the the customer all the
> > information available, educate them on the work and the results, and in the
> > end if they choose to rebuild a wurlitzer spinet, great.
> >
> > And I should clarify that I mean musical interests when I refer 
> to a clients
> > interests.  None of us have any way to judge all the variables that enter
> > into the decision to invest in a piano POS or not.
> >
> > Respectfully,
> > William R. Monroe
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> >> When I was teaching at the Piano Hospital we had a customer want to have
> > her
> >> Wurlitzer spinet: restrung, refinished and rebuilt.   We wrote on the
> >> receipt, "work exceeds the value of the piano."   This was a keepsake and
> >> our opinion didn't matter.   What mattered is that her mother had given
> > her
> >> that piano when she was a child and she wanted it saved.
> >>
> >> William, who doesn't out guess the next person in line.
> >>
> >> PIANO BOUTIQUE
> >> William Benjamin
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> I agree with all your sentiments.  However, I still cannot get past the
> >> results of the labor.  What do you do when a client wants to spend $1500
> > to
> >> get their piano back in shape, and the results will be a crappy piano?  Do
> >> you educate them on the possiblity of a newer instrument - one that has
> > the
> >> potential, or is, a much more musical, satisfying instrument to play?
> > That
> >> is the question for me.  I recently had a client spend $800 to refurbish a
> >> sentimental old upright.  When it was done, it was hardly mediocre.  I
> >> clearly explained what she would have when the work was done - not much of
> > a
> >> piano.  Sentimentality won out.  I have no problem with that, but I do
> > think
> >> that if the client is really better served by an upgrade, we should be
> >> keeping them informed on both sides of the issue, rather than just selling
> >> work.
> >>
> >> More than once I have given up good money for repair jobs because the
> >> clients interests really were not best served by that approach.  All I'm
> >> saying is give them all the options clearly, and if they still want to pay
> >> big bucks for a mediocre instrument, I'm happy to oblige.
> >>
> >> Respectfully,
> >> William R. Monroe
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> > Gads, I can't believe this list is that biased.
> >> >
> >> > Sure most of the pianos I service are most likely candidates for the
> >> > landfill - BUT - if the customer is willing to pay my normal rate (which
> >> > is what I go by) then I'll do the work. Besides most of them also have
> >> > sentimental value or they just want a piano to plunk around on.
> >> >
> >> > There are a lot of churches in my area that have spinets (for choir
> >> > practice, etc) even for church performances, and, yes, they even have,
> >> > as you the list term POS's Acrosonic pianos.
> >> >
> >> > Not everyone can afford - or - even want grand pianos.
> >> >
> >> > I had a customer once, a church, that had several spinets because they
> >> > were easy to move around. The church happened to be a gospel church and
> >> > kept breaking strings on the pianos - did I care - NO - because they
> >> > needed them fixed and they paid me.
> >> >
> >> > Bottom line, unless the pianos are darn near falling apart and the
> >> > customer is willing to pay me my normal rate - I'll fix them - and
> >> > gladly collect my - well earned - money.
> >> >
>SNIP
> >> >
> >> > Duaine Hechler


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