Belly Jobs, (was whoops)

[Leonard Childs]

At 08:18 AM 5/1/96 -0600, you wrote:
>{snip}
>
>>       I have sent many pianos to the Steinway Restoration Services for
>>soundboard replacement and will go on record as saying, I have not gotten a
>>bad one yet. (No two sounded alike, but all produced the "Sound")
>>
>>      In comparison,  I  service  several Steinways with boards replaced by
>>several, different, widely known firms, and have seen a number of others, and
>>there is, to my sense of tonal response,  something profoundly lacking in
>>these instruments.
>>
>>     Not so with any of the factory replacements, IMHO,  they are the surest
>>bet to having your Steinway sound like a Steinway.
>>
>>Regards,
>>Ed Foote
>>Precision Piano Works
>
>Dear Ed,
>
>I am not in any position to dispute your experience, but my 25 year
>experience with a variety of private rebuilders is somewhat different.
>There is no doubt that Steinway & Sons is ideally poised to perform
>excellent Steinway piano rebuilding and back it with their stability and
>good name. And, if there is any similarity with their current production,
>the results must be superb.
>
>Nonetheless, I must put in a word for the many excellent private
>rebuilders, many of whom are your colleagues in PTG. We have had over 20
>Steinway grands from our inventory at the School of Music rebuilt over the
>years by various shops, and the consensus of our (loyal Steinway) faculty
>and international guest artists has consistently been that they are among
>the finest instruments that they have played.
>
>There was a well written article by Lou Tasciotti in the May/June 1995
>"Piano And Keyboard" which takes very much the same point of view as you
>have expressed regarding the quality of work at Steinway & Sons. However,
>several letters from teachers and rebuilders were subsequently published
>expressing other points of view, including very positive experiences with
>private rebuilders.
>
>My personal experience is that the quality of rebuilding in this country is
>at an all time high. I would be interested to hear from others on this
>subject.
>
>Charles
>
>
>
>
>Charles Ball
>School of Music
>University of Texas at Austin
>ckball@mail.utexas.edu
>
>
>I have to agree with Charles.  I know a few rebuilders here in San Antonio
and Austin that I would trust with rebuilding pianos.  Doin't get me wrong,
although I've rebuilt a few, I wouldn't list me name with the ones I have in
mind.

Lenny Childs