Tuning Steinway Verticals

[A440A@aol.com]

Jeff writes: 
<< In 1995 (before my time here), we sold a bunch of surplus pianos at auction
to make room for our newer ones.  All were in "poor" condition as rated by
our previous technician.  I never saw them, but judging by the ones he
kept, they must have been pretty ragged.  Here's how the Steinways did:

Model       Ser. #      "Asking" Price      Sold For
O       186629 (1917)   $750.00         $7,200.00
M       349122 (1955)   $3,200.00       $4,800.00
B       353898 (1956)*  $3,500.00       $6,900.00
B       166722 (1914)   $4,500.00       $8,750.00
L       334928 (1951)   $3,500.00       $7,750.00
B       125549 (1907)   $4,500.00       $8,600.00
1098        360396 (1958)   $600.00         $2,000.00
 >>

  This points up an amazing thing that happens to schools. They get taken to 
the cleaners!  Take for instance, that model B that fetched $8,750.  For $20K 
you could install a new soundboard, block,bridges, strings and complete 
performance level action.  You would then have, for $28,750 a piano that would 
easily perform as well as a new B, which will cost $65,000.  
    If schools were given good technical advice, they would see that it is 
MUCH more sensible to restore their old Steinways instead of trading them in on 
new ones.  There is no comparison in value per dollar.  Of course, the 
technician making the decisions has to know what they are doing, but this whole thing 
of the Steinway dealers talking the schools into trading in old Steinways for 
new ones is insanity!  I have seen it time and again.  
   In 1980, when Peabody College and the Blair Academy were absorbed by 
Vanderbilt, I was allowed to pick whatever pianos Peabody had to bring along with 
us as we became the Blair School of Music.  Those 8 Steinways were gradually 
rebuilt,(no boards).  These pianos have seen heavy use for the last 23 years 
with no more than the occasional keybushing and new hammers/dampers.  When we 
needed more pianos two years ago, when we bought 6 new Steinways and even then, 
the teachers still preferred their older rebuilds.  That is gradually evening 
out, as I go through the new ones and they get played in, but the point is that 
a large part of the value of a Steinway lies in its capacity to be rebuilt 
repeatedly.  In that sense, they are really some of the least expensive pianos 
to own if you want performance! 
Regards, 
 
Ed Foote RPT 
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
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