[pianotech] Gen-u-whine Steinway parts

[Paul Williams]

As beautiful as a Strad sounds, the strings made in the day are not
available anymore..or are they?  Cat gut just can't be around.  Certainly,
a bridge must have been replace in 300 years, but Mr Strad didn't do it,
nor could have.  A tuning nut, etc, whatever:  When is the line drawn?

I once was an actual employee for a piano store and was told to shut my
mouth when we held those huge warehouse sales and all I was to do was tune
and look busy!  Believe me, that only lasted a few months! I couldn't
stand hearing the salesman push "oh, this piano is all original and on and
on (looking at a 1930's Stark or something they were trying to push off
for $3,500!!!)  Ugh! "But look here at this beautiful new (%* grand you
can get for the same price!  No problems with it, one free tuning, and
you're good to go for years!

Paul


On 5/1/12 2:57 PM, "Don Hubbs" <donhubbs at mwt.net> wrote:

>You might try comparing yourselves with the craftsmen who set up other
>fine
>stringed instruments. There are better and lesser makes of violins, etc.,
>but no professional or even good amateur would play one right out of the
>box. They are often modified with better strings, bridge adjustments,
>fingerboard adjustments, etc., without which they would often be mediocre
>at
>best.
>
>If you are regularly called on to finesse concert instruments, let your
>customer know that, too.
>
>Salesmen are salesmen. They can sell a way too bright piano as "voiced for
>jazz", while keeping a straight face. You have to sell your craft as the
>finesse that makes all the difference.
>
>Don Hubbs
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Encore Pianos [mailto:encorepianos at metrocast.net]
>Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 11:56 AM
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Subject: Re: [pianotech] Gen-u-whine Steinway parts
>
>Well put, Jim.  And Steinway plays on that insecurity to the hilt.
>
>Will
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
>Behalf
>Of jim at grandpianosolutions.com
>Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 10:41 AM
>To: pianotech
>Subject: [pianotech] Gen-u-whine Steinway parts
>
>Dale I feel your pain.
>
>However, as a point of constructive discussion,  regarding human brains in
>general regarding this problem, I would like to look at this problem from
>a
>different perspective.  As a disclaimer, I'm sure you know that I share
>your
>passion for piano rebuilding as the committed pursuit of beautiful piano
>sound. (If it weren't for the possibility of creating beautiful sound, I'd
>probably just be selling life insurance or some other yuck-and-a-half.)
>
>But...let me set up a hypothetical scenario, with me as a piano buyer
>(assuming by some amazing stroke of unlikely-ness, I had some serious
>bucks
>to spend on a real nice piano.)
>
>In this scenario, if had come by enough money to manage a one-time, big
>bucks purchase of a piano, (as in get it right, because I wouldn't be able
>to try again), I could easily see myself majorly conflicted between a
>really
>fine rebuild and a big name-brand piano purchase.  Being brutally honest
>with myself, in my mind, given the funds to purchase a big name brand, I
>believe I would be conflicted in choosing a rebuild over a big name-brand
>piano despite that fact that the conflict goes against my very existence
>as
>a life long artisan-craftsperson/musician, and despite the fact that I
>know
>as a technician how lousy these new brand -name pianos sound on the "lot".
>
>Having only one shot at the "right" piano, especially when the acquisition
>of that "right" piano is so central to my experience of music, I know that
>the decision would have a great likelihood of creating some base line of
>disappointment.  And, though its irrational, and goes against everything
>that I know about lousy pianos sounding on the big-name piano "lot", the
>"authority" which brand names acquire would tempt me to put my trust in
>the
>brand as something larger and more authoritative than a single guy in his
>shop...therefore more likely of avoiding disappointment.
>
>My reasoning above is convoluted, irrational, and just plain bulls..t.
>However, I also know this line of thought needs to be countered in the
>working of my own mind.  I pin the conflict on some sort of evolutionary
>detritus, but there it is, despite the fact that it gnaws at the very
>foundations of who I am as an artisan...but...still...it is there if I am
>honest with myself.
>
>I solved this problem by making my own piano. it removes the money from
>the
>equation, and gives me control over the outcome, as well as tools ton
>overcome shortcomings.
>
>But I cheated.
>
>Customers don't have this control, and are utterly dependent on others for
>the outcome of their quest.
>
>Just some thoughts, as I mull over how one can actually sell a fine
>rebuild,
>regardless of how excellent the rebuild is, when we all are evolutionarily
>still somewhere at the level of a bloody pickerel.
>
>Jim Ialeggio
>
>--
>Jim Ialeggio
>jim at grandpianosolutions.com
>(978) 425-9026
>Shirley, MA
>
>
>
>
>
>
>