[pianotech] Spinets - was Elbows

[Joseph Garrett]

O.K. Please name some of these "...more cost effective alternatives." ??
I'd love to know what they are.<G>
Joe aka The Curmudge


> [Original Message]
> From: Terry Farrell <mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com>
> To: <joegarrett at earthlink.net>; <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Date: 11/23/2012 10:20:19 AM
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Spinets - was Elbows
>
> Oh, don't get your feathers in a ruffle Joe  ;-).  I service many spinets
and don't have any particular problem with them. If fact, I have been
recommending one to a couple of clients looking for a piano - one of my
long-time clients is selling her 1968 Yamaha spinet - for its size, a very
lovely piano indeed.  But then again, for every Yamaha spinet and
well-preserved Acrosonic spinet, there are soooo many Gulbranson, et. al.
spinets that are 60+ years old now and have simply been around the block
too many times to make much of a decent piano for a reasonable cost. I'll
work on most any piano, but my bottom line is that if the owner will still
have an old worn-out, poor-sounding, poor-playing piano after spending $500
or $1K on it, then yes, there are more cost effective alternatives.
>
> Sincerely,
>
>            - Man
>
> On Nov 23, 2012, at 1:01 AM, Joseph Garrett wrote:
>
> > Terry the Farrell said: "If I were to do that scope of work, I'd easily
> > double that fee (mid-west prices). And most any spinet owner would be
> > ill-advised to put that much $$ into their little spinet."
> > 
> > Terry,
> > Please tell me what would you advise someone to do with that $500.00?
Buy
> > another piano, of dubious ilk, that probably needs more work?
Or...perhaps
> > use it as a down payment on a Chinese POS???!! Hmmm? which one? that is
a
> > puzzlement. a piano made with particle board/select hardwood and bad
> > workmenship? Or...a slightly old piano, made with real solid core
panels,
> > that Gramma paid hard earned cash for? Which would be of more value to
the
> > client? Which would give good service?
> > I can say that I have replaced wippen flanges, damper levers, jacks and
> > flanges, hammer butt flanges and elbows on the same piano. I replaced
with
> > WOOD! That was 30 years ago and it's still going strong. Musically?
Well,
> > it ain't no "concert pianer" but it's the one that the client wants and
> > loves! I have many such, that I've done. Without regret on both sides of
> > the fence.
> > You call yourself a Woodworker. Well, which is better: Wood? Plastic?
MDF
> > HDF LDF? Select Hardwood of dubious ilk, with the strength of balsa? And
> > then there are the poorly made actions. Don't even get me started on
that.
> > If you've ever worked on the newer pianos, you'd know the answers to my
> > questions. The Spinet has been getting a bad rap for waaaayyy to damned
> > long and I'm sick of hearing it! It's what puts the spuds on the table
of a
> > lot of beginning technicians. I include myself and I suspect you too,
Terry.
> > Joe 
> > 
> > 
> > Joe Garrett, R.P.T.
> > Captain of the Tool Police
> > Squares R I
> > 
>