[CAUT] Duplex scale noise, piano rebuilding

[Jim Busby]

Hey Ric, Bill,

Chris Fingers, in Denver, made a statement about rebuilding that has
stuck with me. He said his rebuilt pianos cost MORE than a new piano
because if they just want a new B (for instance) they should go buy one.
But if they want something more, that Steinway can't offer, then that's
where his pianos come into the market. (Redesigned bridge, board, MOI
touch weighted, etc.) 

Ron made the unfortunate (but true) comment that rebuilders take these
older pianos and make them shine for LESS than the cost of new... (w/o
proper compensation).  Maybe Chris Fingers has a lesson for us. Somehow
his shop is doing well.

Then there are guys like David Hughes who made a comment about his
"restorations" which bears repeating. "We rebuild them to the specs that
Steinway meant to use but didn't..."

With today's need for more and more money as quickly as possible it
seems like less people are becoming true craftsman in any trade. Here in
Utah there are only two "rebuilders", Rick Baldassin and Vince Mrykalo,
but tons of "tooners" entering the business. As for me... I just want to
be like Ron and Vince when I grow up :-)

Jim Busby BYU


-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
RicB
Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 4:11 PM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: [CAUT] Duplex scale noise, piano rebuilding

Hi Bill

Thanks for the thoughts on the duplex thread.  I'd like to hear more 
along that line if you care to write about it.  I've not heard so much 
about the duplex as it relates to the strike line.

As far as the below.  I agree one hundred %.  In fact I would go so far 
as to say there is every reason to believe (and assume) that the 
absolute best overall qualitity one can expect is exactly from the small

one man rebuilding shop.  Mass production has by definition inherent 
limitations in this regard.

The problem from the public perspective has been and always will be how 
to find the right rebuilder.  Of a group of say 100 randomly picked 
rebuilders in the US... how many would you guess could out preform the 
best manufacturer ?  And how is the uninformed to find these few ?  Ok 
some customers will be able to isolate the best of the best as it 
were... but of all the pianos sold to the buying public as <<rebuilt>> 
my guess would be that the majority do not range up to the quality of 
the best manufacturers. So... those guys/ gals out there doing that 
class act work have a double disadvantage to work with relating to the 
market from the get go.  That is no doubt part of where the general 
skepticism towards rebuilt pianos comes from. 

Cheers
RicB


    About rebuilding, vs. buying new pianos: I agree with those who
think
    restoration is the way to go. Of course, real skill on the part of
the
    restorer is presumed. Inept rebuilding can be most unsuccessful and
    create
    skeptics. But it always strikes me that those techs who believe that
    new is
    always better don't give concrete technical reasons why that must be
so,
    rather it's always a gut feeling, probably based on hearing more
    nice new
    pianos, than nice rebuilt ones. If rebuilt pianos were necessarily
    inferior,
    I as a technician would really want to know howcome. This is not
    meant as a
    slap at anyone who is anywhere along the spectrum of experience,
just an
    invitation to one of the real joys of the profession. Detailed
    observation
    and deduction, along with good taste empower us.

     

    Bill Schneider

    Michigan State University School of Music