Hi all, I would like to pose a question to our caut group that has bothered me for some time. Perhaps one of you have received the answer to this question directly from someone in a position of authority and would like to share that clarification, or better yet, maybe one of the "authorities" are actually listening in. What exactly is meant by "genuine Steinway" parts? I ask this obvious question not only for myself, but also for every other independent technician and rebuilder who would like to do the right thing, consistent with what we believe is right for the piano, without causing unnecessary conflict with the manufacturer. Does "genuine Steinway" mean specifically only those parts which are made at the Steinway factory and are currently used by the factory on new pianos in production? Or, does "genuine Steinway" have a somewhat broader definition which could include parts not currently in the production line and not made at the Steinway factory but which are nonetheless sold to us by Steinway and which may have been used on new pianos at some point in the past? Or, does "genuine Steinway" have an even broader definition including parts not used in current production, not made by Steinway, and not even sold by Steinway, but which have been used by the factory on some older Steinway pianos in the Restoration Center? Specifically, what shanks and repetitions are we to consider "genuine Steinway" Considering the significant marketing emphasis on whether the replacement parts we use are "genuine" or not, it only seems reasonable that this phrase should be more clearly defined. I presume that I am not the only technician who would appreciate that clarification. Thank you, Dennis Johnson St. Olaf College
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