Several weeks ago I had a regular client call me about her 'M". It seems that she was having her upstairs bathroom redone and you know what happened and where the water went already. I restrung, repinned and various other things to the piano before she bought it in the early '70's and have tuned it for her ever since. She had the local Steinway dealer (the owner, not his technician) come out before me and of course he told her the piano should be totaled and that she should go for a new instrument with the insurance company (s) paying the bill., the plumbers. When I came out to look at it I made my notes and told her it should be restrung, etc, and when I had the plate out make the decision to replace or not replace the block depending on what the water did. The case was fairly damaged and she said that the insurance probably would not pay for a complete refinishing so I quoted her a figure for refinishing the stretcher and rubbing out the rest of the case. Later her husband called me and wanted to know why I didn't quote a price for complete refinishing and I told him that his wife said not to. I would have referred that part out. About a week after that she called again saying that the plumber wanted 2 other bids so I gave her two of my competitors names. Today, the owner of the Steinway store calls me and basically said that he had told the adjuster that the piano was totaled and needed a new soundboard and most everything else or it would not be a good piano again. He was talking like he wanted me to repeat what he had told me to the adjuster., I hate that. So I called my client and let her know what he had told me. Here was his plan. He was calling the piano salvaged at $1500 and valuing the piano at $18,000 before the water damage to be collected from the plumbers insurance. This piano is an early 1920's vintage. Then the owners homeowners policy would kick in and pay to $18,000 to get them a new M from his store. To my knowledge the owner of the Steinway store has still not had a technician look at this piano. The other competitor she called is on this list. So what my question is, is this. It used to be said that Steinway would not rebuild their own instruments older than 50. I'm thinking now that me this was never so. If it was and is, when did that policy change?. I wonder how piano store owners can accumulate all this much more knowledge than technicians and come out as the ultimate authority. This whole deal is starting to smell to me. What do you think. James Grebe R.P.T. of the P.T.G pianoman@inlink.com Creator of Handsome Hardwood Caster Cups and Practical Piano Peripherals in St. Louis, MO
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