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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Jeff, and others...</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It's SO hard to compare "apples" to "oranges" =
when
they are REALLY not the same.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Band instruments are on the average 10 - 15 times cheaper than =
NEW
pianos. Most ( at</DIV>
<DIV>least 99% ) of ALL beginner band students don't care, and =
it
really (almost) doesn't matter, if the instrument is NEW or used. &=
nbsp;
For wind instruments, (i.e: brass, woods, double reeds, etc.) the
"mouthpiece" is the MOST important to the student just
learning. THAT will determine a success or failure of "=
most"
students. Really, NOT the instrument. The
"other" ( and the REAL factor of success ) is =
PRACTISE
!!! Bar-none == THAT will never be replaced by ANY
thing. However, one DOES need an excellent
"instrument" ( piano or other ) to practise on to be " =
SUCCESSFUL
!!! "</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>However, I truly "wished" ALL piano
manufactorers would quit making ALL styles of upright pianos. &=
nbsp;
It would be "nice" to live in a world where everyone who owned =
a
piano had a grand piano. There are a number of technicians I =
know
that will ONLY tune and work on a grands.</DIV>
<DIV>They will refer a customer to another tech. "who they don't like=
" to
call him/her to work on their old upright / console. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But, there are a number of us technicians who live in areas where
these OLD HIGH UPRIGHTs</DIV>
<DIV>exist by the 100's and people believe they are "National&=
nbsp;
Treasures." HOW in the world can you break someone's =
heart to
tell them, poor people whose child "wants" to learn, but they =
can't
afford a GRAND piano (yet along a "new" upright), that the =
; old
"junker-clunker" is DEAD !! It will cost MORE to =
fix /
overhaul / rebuild that OLD piano than if they'd go out and buy a =
brand
new one.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But, the truth is, they can't.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Schools and Colleges under such "tight" budget restrants wants =
us
CAUT people to do "miracles" with our hands and minds to pianos that=
are NEVER regulated / voiced on a regular basis even IF =
you
get to tune the dang thing once or "maybe" twice a year IF you are
lucky. Then, they expect a tuning at HALF the =
"outside" going rates ON TOP OF THAT !!!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The WHOLE "ball of wax" boils down to
= MONEY !!!</DIV>
<DIV>No Body has any, and any BODY who does, don't want to spend it &=
nbsp;
---- " ON THEIR PIANO !!"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It's NOT as important as books...</DIV>
<DIV>It's NOT as important as the lawnmower ...</DIV>
<DIV>It's NOT even as important as getting yer hair done each week ...</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>There's ALWAYS money for " other " things, &=
nbsp;
but NEVER, I mean, NEVER enough money</=
DIV>
<DIV>to keep that piano tuned, regulated, voiced,
repaired, adjusted, refinished, etc., etc., etc.</DIV>
<DIV>Somebody tell me where the justification is in <U><EM>THAT=
</EM></U>!!!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If "one" doesn't live in the BIG
cities, "one" will starve by segregating his/her working on =
JUST
grand pianos. But, WHY IS IT ( i =
ask
) that Colleges and Unverisities have MORE upright pianos, =
; but
when you apply to work for them, they want you to KNOW MORE =
about
grand pianos ??? The VERTICAL piano is ( =
actually
) harder to work on, harder to regulate, and even HARDER to =
tune
!!! Now, ALL of you out there in CAUT land&=
nbsp;
........ Think about that for a moment. THERE is the =
answer to
your question when the "lead" tech will ONLY work on =
grand
pianos, and hire the contract tech to come in to tune and work on all=
the
verticals. It REALLY is a NO BRAINER
!!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But, STILL --- the real problem and the real answer=
is = MONEY !!! I KNOW I can go =
to
truck driving school and work driving OTR gigs making 5 times as much =
more
money just sitting on my "donkey" driving someone "else's " =
truck,
and I KNOW they have the money to take care of the truck =
and
have it tuned up and repaired when it needs it. After all, =
;
99.99 % of the people don't MAKE A LIVING playing a piano.  =
;
But, 99.99 % of the people who own and drive BIG-rig trucks&=
nbsp; DO
!!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>NO WONDER the "ARTS" (?) are going down the
toilet. After all, it's "just"
intertainment.</DIV>
<DIV>Who gives a C___p ??</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> { this is just "something" you ALL need to start thinking =
about
... }</DIV>
<DIV>
just Look what had happen =
with
the U. of Mich. thing ... someone got "screwed"</DIV>
<DIV>
because of "=
Money."
!!!!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>____________________________</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> [ name withheld pending
investigation into truck-driving school... ] </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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