<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV><DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>On Jun 26, 2007, at 3:19 PM, John Minor wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">I have a private customer who has asked me a few questions about Bechsteins, and I have minimal experience with these. I'd be interested in hearing opinions on the following:</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">How do Bechsteins compare with Steinway(9')?</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>They're different. Completely different kind of sound and feel. I like them very much, with the exception of one problem I've dealt with that seems to be a Bechstein thing.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I have one private customer with a Bechstein E (9'), circa 1978. Other than single bass strings popping lately, it's a nice piano. One other customer has a grand in the 6' or so range. It is much older and needs a complete restringing. We break strings all the time on it. Not a good piano to judge the make by. I tuned a small newer grand down on the coast several years ago and liked it very much. I'm sorry, I can't remember the model number of the last two. I also tuned a big older upright a few years ago that was quite nice.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>With the exception of the small grand on the coast, and I can't remember about it, string breakage is a problem on all of the Bechsteins I've tuned, and I am always scared to death the next string will break before I can get the pitch settled. Except the newer small grand, I had string breakage while tuning all three of the other pianos, including the upright. Bearing in mind, they are all older, but I don't have that problem with Steinways, or Henry Millers for that matter. The only difficulty I remember about the small grand on the coast was that I didn't own a #1 tuning tip at the time, and I found tuning the small pins with a #2 tip odd feeling. I do like the feel of the open faced pinblock, and tend to prefer tuning any pinblock system without pin bushings anyway.<DIV><BR></DIV>I might would be somewhat concerned about whether their wood curing process is suitable for the American climate. I was once told Bechstein didn't take the American climate into consideration when seasoning its wood. But I have no idea if that was a credible statement.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I do know that with the model E, at least, the only way to install a Dampp Chaser system is below the beams because of the odd network of beams under there.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I hear the Samick/Bechstein marriage has been good for both companies. I do have one client who has a brother who works for Bechstein in Berlin. Incidentally, that client has a Samick, FWIW - but they are not pianists.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Jeff</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV></DIV></DIV><BR><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV>Jeff Tanner, RPT</DIV><DIV>University of South Carolina</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN> </DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>