older species reply

[pianoman]

Dear Mr. Mamel
In many cases this is not necessarily true.  I have a couple older Baldwin
and Steinway grands that sound wonderful.  Although they sound wonderful
now I don't know what they sounded like when they were new; (more
wonderful)? 
What I also was trying to say is that my opinion on a lot of things was
shaped not only by the pianos but the various other people around me.
The story around here was that George Steck was the official piano of St.
Louis's Muny Opera.  However in the orchestra pit was a Chickering grand
with a George Steck decal on it.  This was like in the 50's and 60's .
Advertising had to do with that.  Back in the 70's when Neal Diamond would
come to town he always asked for a white and gold spinet piano, didn't
specify the brand, in his room.  Who knows why, but 2 years in a row I
tuned the same for him?
When I worked for Aeolian Co. of Mo. they had an 1940's vintage Baldwin
spinet on their sales floor.  It was de-tuned badly and scratched up
terribly.  Aeolians' competition for the Acrosonic was the Cable-Nelson
spinet.  Salesman would play a tune on the de-tuned Baldwin and then play
the same tune on a freshly tuned Cable-Nelson.  Obviously you know which
came off sounding better.  In 1967 when Ludwig bought out Aeolian I got the
chance to touch up and tune up to pitch that same little Baldwin Acrosonic
and it was a great sounding little instrument.  Oh yes, I'm sure it sounded
better than a new Baldwin spinet.
James Grebe
R.P.T. from St. Louis
pianoman@inlink.com
"Only my best is good enough"

----------
> From: THEOFONE@aol.com
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: older species
> Date: Sunday, November 02, 1997 3:46 PM
> 
> Dear Mr Grebe
> .....as my dealer called them WUR TIL I ZERS (very close) I should hope
that
> they sound 30 years older AND 30 years worse. I would be surprised if
they
> sounded better!!!!(unless they were rebuilt) They should sound worse,and
I
> think that your ear has improved in that time which is why they sound a
loy
> worse. I think that pianos ONLY deteriorate with age which is why we dont
put
> old soundboards in new pianos.Yes we have raised the standard and know
what
> good tone is.Im glad that you think those old WURLITIZERS sound bad....30
> years bad.  I DO TOO!!
> 
>                                                                Theodore
Mamel
> RPT
>                                                                
Pittsburgh
> Chapter