Ed Foote writes: > 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. <snip> It would actually be less than $28,750, considering the piano wouldn't have cost the university that much when it was bought, or it could have even been a donation. But you're talking about the value of not getting $8750 for it, I know. >...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! No kidding. In our case, we found some extra money from our new building which was built under budget to purchase the new pianos. We also got an unheard of deal on the pianos we bought which pushed the boundaries of ethics, and would nullify your cost comparison. The old pianos were not sold to buy the new ones, but to raise funds for needs in other departments. I agree. Normally, it would have made sense to have some of these rebuilt at a savings. And I'm in the same boat with the rest of the older Steinways we kept which are needing restringing and new action parts. We'd had a budget for parts for one Steinway action rebuild a year up until we got the new pianos (I think it also coincided with some departmental changes which affected our overall budget). But times are tight right now, and I can talk until I'm blue in the face and can't get money for piano parts. But why is it that you can get a donor to purchase you a new or used piano, but trying to find one to finance a rebuild just isn't a reasonable expectation? Another issue involves the bidding process when state funds are used. State institutions are required to accept the lowest bid, and I don't think any institution's faculty would agree to go in that direction when rebuilding a Steinway. While if you're buying new, it doesn't make any difference which dealer it comes from if you're going to NY to pick them out anyway. Jeff Jeff Tanner, RPT Piano Technician School of Music 813 Assembly ST University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208 (803)-777-4392 jtanner@mozart.sc.edu
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC