OK Mark Ritchie and everyone, I called colleague Arnold Duin for further news about this matter. Now... do not underestimate this guy! I'm gonna tell you something about him: First of all, and y'all must be patient! we both come from the same = piano store. I received my first (paid) professional lessons at = "Goldschmedings" in Amsterdam centre. This was a very old fashioned and decent piano store and they had = their piano atelier on the top floor (4th). At the time, there were about 8 or 9 people working on piano's all = day long. I worked there as an apprentice for a couple of years = learning to regulation, tuning, how to make bone glue and sweeping = the floors. I had endless fights about who's turn it was to sweep or get coffee = and had even more horrible fights about the radio because I could not = stand the noise ALL DAY LONG. So, after a couple of years, I decided it was time for me to move and = at moment our friend Arnold entered the premises. (around 1975) I out, he in. Over the years we kept contact and since about one year we started = working together. We do big projects, like restoring all steinways at the Amsterdam = Conservatory. Arnold (he is a bit shy and is not used to promote himself) is a = star!! hello! helloooo! He is very thorough and precise and can do anything on grands. you = name it, he can do it. On the side, he manages the piano technicians school in Amsterdam and = has written lecturing volumes about our craft and trade. He also keeps watch over piano technician pupil-apprentices who do = voluntary work in several workshops all over Holland and lastly, he = is a walking piano technicians dictionary because he knows about = almost everything. OK....OK! I'll shut up! But I thought that at least one time you guys and gals should know = who Arnold Duin (read dune) is. So, if you ask me these difficult questions about those russian = piana's, what do you think I do? Right I call Arnie. Here's the answer: About a year ago, in Holland, at a place called = ROODE, russian piano parts (probably Jacob Becker, St. Petersburg, = Russia, 1841) were assembled by some dutch entrepeneurs. >From what I understood, these piano's were not even THAT bad. However, there was a fight with the tax collectors about whether = these newly exported piano's were originally from Russia (partly = true) or from Holland. The entrepeneurs lost their case and....went broke. boom! Now, if I look up "Weiler" in pierce's atlas, I see that this piano = was made in Chicago by H.P. Nelson. "Wieler" does not exist according to Mr. Pierce. I liked writing this little letter to you all and I felt it was = neccessary to promote our friend Arnold Duin a bit so that you have a = better understanding of one of our List's honourable members. Here's to you all, cheers! friendly greetings from: Andr=E9 Oorebeek CONCERT PIANO SERVICE Amsterdam, the Netherlands email: oorebeek@euronet.nl =80...Where MUSIC is no harm can be...=80
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