<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1491" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=rol= e_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><= FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size= =2>Original message<BR>From: Rob Goodale <rrg@unlv.nevada.edu><BR>To: <caut@ptg.org><BR>Received: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 12:16:17 -0800<BR>Subjec= t: [CAUT] Hello - and looking for piano replacement help<BR><BR> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>-AND NOW FOR SERIOUS BUSINESS-</FONT></DI= V> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>UNLV has a host of junky pianos suitable = for use as boat anchors.  Mostly Yamahas and Kawais averaging in age from abo= ut 20-30 years, (scary).  For all practical purposes they are no longer maintainable, don't stay tuned, breaking strings, beat to death, etc.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>After years of persuasion and warnings I = actually have the administration listening and contemplating budgeting for replacin= g the entire lot of them, (about +/- 45 units).  We have rece= ived bids and some factory reps have visited.  I am now writing a detailed= report to submit next week which will express my findings, recommendations, and will include close up color photographs of worn out p= iano parts.  This is what I hope will be the final blow that will topple t= he preverbal tower of administrative resistance.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We currently have a dealer loan program t= hat appears to have worn out it's usefulness.  It really needs to go away= permanently in favor of all new owned replacements.  I know there are= many of you out there who have had plenty of experience in loan programs.  I am hoping to accumulate a few short testimonials from ot= her university techs on "why old university pianos need to be replaced", and "why dealer loan programs are a bad idea".  (For those who have = had good loan program experiences this part is not for you).  I am hoping for a couple short paragraphs from a few oth= er university techs that I can quote in my report.  Anyon= e willing to contribute please forward your prose to me ASAP.  Be aware= that I may be required to do some minor editing, (including possible shortening),  to make your words fit within the space and context of = my report.  Please include the name of the university.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks for your help.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Rob Goodale, RPT</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Las Vegas, NV</FONT></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV>  <DIV>Robert</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Glad to have to on CAUT. I left Pianotech several years ago, and never looked back. I think you'll find CAUT a lot more interesting, and a LOT more= helpful.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Concerning the loaner situation, one thing that needs to be taken into consideration is that this program is for the benefit of the dealer. In most= situation, the dealer could care less about the school's needs or requiremen= ts They are only doing this to make money. They may ask you what pianos you wan= t, but they will give you what they have, and don't pay attention to the needs = of the school. You're stuck with pianos that are not necessarily the right one = in a given situation. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The other thing to take into consideration is that when the market is saturated, the dealer will pull out. That is what happened at Alabama. The dealer wanted to pull his piano out the year before I got here, but there wa= s a clause in the contract that said he had give the school  3 months notic= e. Since he didn't, he was forced to continue the loaner program for another ye= ar. As a result, he was very cold to us, and unwilling to respond to my needs. W= hen I asked him if I could move a piano from one room to another he said no, tha= t he would have his own movers do it. Not only did they move the piano, he gave u= s another one, which was brand new. And we have discussed the stability proble= ms with those.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>He finally did remove the pianos, so the school had to scramb= le to find the money to replace them. 4 months before the end of the semester, = the dealer gave me a move out date, which happened to be while I was scheduled t= o go on vacation. When I asked him, 3 months before the move out date, to change = it by a week, he refused. Not only that, but we had not gotten permission to replace the pianos. He didn't even offer to have us buy the pianos. If it ha= dn't been for the good will of his competitor, the Steinway dealer, we would have= been with 11 pianos for three months.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The bottom line is, if you can get out from under loan program as = soon as possible, and buy pianos that will suit your needs, the school will be mu= ch better off in the long run. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>You may edit this as much as possible. Good luck. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Wim <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"= >Willem Blees, RPT<BR>Piano Tuner/Technician<BR>School of Music<BR>University of Alabama<BR>Tuscaloosa, AL USA</FONT></DIV></DIV></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>