electronics replacing pianos?

[John Ross]

If a specially designed chip is unavailable, it is not easy to make a 
substitute. The cost would make it not feasible.
The Lowrey chip for example, it seams to me they went back to the 
manufacturer, and he wanted something like $1000 each for the chips, since 
they would have to retool, and I don't know, what the minimum was.
If that is what you meant, that a work around was possible.
Not even mentioning the plastic parts that might have broken, or the contact 
pads. These parts are just not that easy, to make work, if they are not 
exact.
John M. Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
jrpiano at win.eastlink.ca
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "RicB" <ricb at pianostemmer.no>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 7:24 PM
Subject: electronics replacing pianos?


> Hey John
>
> An excellent point. But one which is not an overcomable one if first the 
> industry and technicians are empowered with how to do exactly with what we 
> do in similiar instances today with acoustic instruments... yes ?
>
> cheers
> RicB
>
>
>    One big thing against the electronic piano is, the availability of
>    parts for
>    repair, down the road.
>    I used to repair electronic instruments, and I can remember, taking
>    a year
>    to get a top octave synthesizer for a Farfisa organ. I couldn't get
>    it in
>    the US or Canada, and had to get it from Italy. It was my second try in
>    Italy, before I got it. Another example, was a Lowery organ, and
>    after 7
>    years, the rhythm chip was unavailable.
>    With pianos, we can modify existing parts, or make replica parts, so
>    the
>    piano, like the energizer bunny, just goes and goes and goes.
>    John M. Ross
>    Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
>    jrpiano at win.eastlink.ca
>