older Steinway whippens

[David McCord]

Keith,

I can see your point, but I have trouble with your analogy. Doesn't seem
the same - teeth and pianos. If I could get replacement teeth that were
better quality than the old, for a comparable price to patching up the old
ones,  I'd say, "Doc! yank 'em all"!

Remember, this is a Steinway "B" we're talking about - not a Hallet & Davis.

The cost to do right by old spoonless whippens exceeds the cost of new
ones. You simply can't bring those old whips "up to specs" without doing
major surgery, which will exceed the cost of new ones. And they'll be
inferior to the new. The new whips will be good for another 75 years. Those
90 year old whips are dead. Rebuilding old whips is false economy. Like
beating a dead horse.

How are you going to adjust those jacks without a regulating spoon? Are you
going to spend the day poking felt into the balancier? It takes less time
to add a spoon and adjusting button.  And your felt stuffing job will never
satisfy a good pianist. But there's more...worn balancier leather, bad
springs, flat knuckles, loose jack tender and balancier flange glue joints,
rest felt, capstan cushion felt. Rebuilding old whips is false economy, in
the long and short run. I've done that, been there...

This reminds me of the "fixer upper" horse trailer I bought for $300. Two
years and $3000 later, I sold it for $500, then went and bought a new one
for $5000. Smartest thing I could have done, but wished I'd done it 2 years
and $3000 earler.

OK, fine, maybe the owner of the piano doesn't care and can't tell the
difference. Then you should turn the job over to a technician that doesn't
care and can't tell the difference!

Regards,
David McCord



At 08:18 PM 8/12/98 -0700, you wrote:
>>...New parts are not always the answer.
>>
>>Jon Page
>>Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net)
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>>I believe it is a mistake to allow your customers' requirements to define
>>your standards. If you want to climb the ladder in a craft business, set
>>high standards.
>>
>>David McCord
>
>I have to side with Jon on this one.  Blanket or wholesale endorsement of
>replacement of parts is not always the appropriate course.
>
>As a crude example: It would make me kind of wonder if a dentist who
>discovers I have numerous cavities due to extreme neglect and use said,
>"Yank 'em all 'cause the teeth you were born with aren't worth it."  I'd be
>very suspect of someone who recommended that course of correction until
>clear evidence was shown it would be in my best interest to let go of the
>"originals" I was born with.
>
>I'd like to keep what I got until it becomes absolutely necessary to
>replace.  Once the originals are gone, there's no turning back.  No less
>with fine pianos.
>
>My experience,
>
>Keith McGavern
>kam544@earthlink.net
>Registered Piano Technician
>Oklahoma Chapter 731
>Piano Technicians Guild
>USA
>
>
>
>