[CAUT] becoming an all Steinway School

[Clarence Zeches]

If you want to hear a horror story about a new "D".  The piano was chosen at 
Steinway by the college and was delivered in August 2006.  I was tuning it 
this spring and thought something did not look right.  Upon checking I found 
a small crack in the soundboard.  I crawled under the piano and was able to 
stick my business cards between 4 ribs and the soundboard.  The dealer asked 
me to send him the pictures, which I did.  The school had a new "D" 
delivered around the first of December 2007.  They said this was only the 
2nd time they could remember this happening.

Clarence Zeches, RPT

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Ilvedson" <ilvey at sbcglobal.net>
To: <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2007 2:59 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] becoming an all Steinway School


> Andrew,
>
> I would be interested in the actual problems you found in the new D?
> What you thought should have been dealt with in the factory before going 
> out the door?
>
> In this same vein...when picking out a new Steinway D, what would the 
> List's technicians be looking for?
> For me it would be sustain/singing quality though out.   Few false 
> strings,    Plenty of felt on the hammers.   Less lead in the keys....
>
>
> David Ilvedson, RPT
> Pacifica, CA  94044
>
> ----- Original message ----------------------------------------
> From: "Andrew Anderson" <andrew at andersonmusic.com>
> To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org>
> Received: 12/8/2007 8:56:05 PM
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] becoming an all Steinway School
>
>
>>I am a technician servicing an official all Steinway school and one
>>that would probably qualify but isn't interested in the hassle (to
>>quote the dean.)
>
>>I am also a piano dealer carrying Sauter pianos.  I know a list of
>>"All-Steinway" schools in the US and Europe (Hamburg instruments)
>>that have purchased Sauters recently for the stated purpose of having
>>a variety of high-end piano sound to offer their students.  They are
>>still All Steinway at this point, none of them are particularly
>>concerned about retaining the status either.
>
>>The school I service did it to piggy-back on Steinway advertising
>>with the interest of drawing more international piano students.  Two
>>in four years...  They are sorely disappointed with the dealer and
>>won't be buying from her again.  (Absolutely nothing is covered under
>>the short warranty, even glaring defects and fairly obvious fixes
>>advocated by Steinway tech.s in New York.)  Their second
>>concert-grand probably will not be a Steinway either.  Anyone want a
>>D that shouldn't have been let out of the factory for 95 Gs?
>
>>You have to remember this is a symbiotic advertising thing.  They
>>both have something to lose by changing status of schools.  I haven't
>>seen the contract but I'd suspect it involves a requirement for a
>>significant majority per-centage of the pianos in the school.  This
>>school has one Baldwin R, in the Student Center.
>
>>To qualify the previous paragraph: a Steinway tech. mentioned in
>>passing that a certain school (name slips me) was de-certified for
>>failing to adequately maintain their pianos.  Steinway will act to
>>protect their program when they deem it necessary.
>
>>All the practice pianos are Boston uprights.  As a tech I don't like
>>them.  They are weather yo-yos in the extreme and the tuning pins are
>>not stiff enough for an easy solid tuning.  You really have to
>>massage them to be sure you don't have the pins wind back up and
>>sharp when approaching pitch from above.  Ie they twist a lot before
>>the feet move and you can pound and not provoke the
>>movement  immediately.  You have to wag that hammer back and forth a
>>bit until you find center on the desired pitch.  The Boston grands
>>have that typical brown sound but tune up well and don't have
>>Steinway type action mating issues.  Good quality control at Kawai.
>
>>The one school auctioned off the worst of the inventory and then
>>moved the best into various offices and classrooms.  The other was a
>>new school, first and new inventory.
>
>>Andrew Anderson
>
>>At 09:00 PM 12/8/2007, you wrote:
>>>hi folks
>>>I'd be interested to hear experiences from those
>>>techs. working at schools  that have become ''All
>>>Steinway''. Is it very restrictive on the purchase
>>>choice of instruments. What happened to existing
>>>inventory. Was administration and faculty  won over by
>>>becoming ''All Steinway''. How are the Boston pianos
>>>holding up etc etc..........
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>__________________________________________________________________
>>__________________
>>>Be a better friend, newshound, and
>>>know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it
>>>now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ
>
>