On Tue, 7 Oct 1997, Carl Fischer wrote: > Could I request the help of the list for information regarding > "Sterling" brand of pianos. Specifically, the quality and value, > whether or not it's a good piano to buy. A faculty member has requested > information about whether to buy or not. The one under consideration is > supposedly 50-60 years old. Although you didn't specify whether this is a grand, upright, console or spinet, it's condition, or the asking price, it really doesn't matter. Sterling started out building mediocre, unremarkable instruments suit- able for the amateur home-pianist who possessed little technical skill, a poor ear and not enough money to buy something better, which meant just about ANYTHING else. And as time went by, the quality DECLINED! They are perhaps best remembered for building a player piano which utilized a player mechanism of their own design which turned out to be one of the most difficult-and-thankless-to-rebuild that ever existed. Virtually all players (except Schulz of Chicago) used 88 pneumatics, each controlled by either one or two valves. The Sterling player mechanism used 88 pneumatics controlled by 176 (!) smaller pneumatics in place of normal valves--thus utilizing 264 pneumatics total! This breakthrough, revolutionary, virtual- ly one-of-a-kind design proved so successful that Sterling quickly tossed it in the dumper and replaced them with the much more commonly used AND RELIABLE "Standard Action" and it's deluxe cousin, the "Autopiano". It is possible that over the years ONE decent Sterling piano might have accidentally slipped through quality control, but if so, I've certainly never seen it. Sterlings old and new, player or not, are most frequently encountered at the Piano Catapult World Championships. Rightly so. If the faculty member considering this piano really wants something to put on a leash so that he can take it for a walk around the block, advise him to get a Golden Retriever; If he wants a decent piano, recommend that he find something--ANYTHING--else! Les Smith lessmith@buffnet.net
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