[pianotech] Gen-u-whine Steinway parts

[John Ashcraft]

By the way, that link is from a bit more than a month ago:
http://www.economist.com/node/21542380
 As a community orchestra concertmaster I play a gorgeous violin I made a
few years back. I would sell it for 1% of the price of a Strad if someone
made an offer, though. I was inspired in my design by piano soundboard
knowledge shared by Darrell Fandrich at a chapter meeting.
--John Ashcraft

On Tue, May 1, 2012 at 1:52 PM, David Love <davidlovepianos at comcast.net>wrote:

> Check out the article in the Economist about a month or two ago comparing
> the sound of various vintage violins against new ones. A blind listening
> experiment. I won't ruin it by telling you which ones came out ahead.
>
> David Love
> www.davidlovepianos.com
> (sent from bb)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Williams <pwilliams4 at unl.edu>
> Sender: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
> Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 20:29:31
> To: pianotech at ptg.org<pianotech at ptg.org>
> Reply-To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Gen-u-whine Steinway parts
>
> 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
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20120501/5fb0b625/attachment.htm>