Astin-Weight pianos

[Sy Zabrocki]

List:
Astin-Weight has one unusual feature. The pressure bar on most pianos is
achored with wood screws into the pinblock. Astin-Weight drills and taps
holes in the plate. The pressure is attached with machine screws. I've seen
about 30 AW but not any newer ones.
Sy Zabrocki

----------
> From: Wasson Kerrick <wkerrick@mindspring.com>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Astin-Weight pianos
> Date: Thursday, October 22, 1998 10:50 PM
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jeannie Grassi <jgrassi@silverlink.net>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Date: Thursday, October 22, 1998 8:07 PM
> Subject: Astin-Weight pianos
> 
> 
> >Dear List,
> >I have a customer who has become interested in an Astin-Weight upright.
> >These are made by a tiny company in Utah, and even though it is not that
> far
> >from here (Washington), I have only worked on 2 or 3 of them and that
was
> >quite a while ago.  In order to help her out and give her some
intelligent
> >advice, I would love any comments or caveats regarding these
instruments.
> >She will be visiting the factory to see them first hand, so she would
like
> >some honest input from technicians other than the manufacturers
themselves.
> >
> >Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> >Jeannie
> >
> >Jeannie Grassi, RPT
> >jgrassi@silverlink.net
> >Bainbridge Island, WA
> >
> Dear Jeannie:
> 
> Over the years I have sold and continue to service a handful of
Astin-Weight
> pianos, including a few of the 50" model which I presume is the model of
> interest to your customer.  This piano is a very well-made instrument,
with
> an unusually full and rich (albeit somewhat unusual) sound.  No doubt the
> innovative soundboard design, with the soundboard running in behind the
> pinblock, has a lot to do with this.  In my opinion, the piano sounds
bigger
> but maybe not as well balanced as, say, a 52" Yamaha.  The overall
> workmanship is great; the piano is very solidly built and uncommonly
heavy
> (to my knowledge, the only heavier vertical is the 52" Baldwin).
> 
> In my experience, the Astin-Weight piano is difficult to sell for 3
reasons:
> 1) Very little name recognition
> 2) Expensive compared to many better-known (but lower quality) brands
> 3) Cabinet designs and finishes are less than outstanding, rather plain
and
> dull
> 
> I can't think of any company in the piano industry with which I would
rather
> do business than Astin-Weight.  They won't feed your customer a bunch of
> hype and baloney, and I'm quite sure she will be impressed with their
> honesty and forthrightness.
> 
> You might suggest that your customer read the section on Astin-Weight
pianos
> in Larry Fine's book The Piano Book.  The pianos do have a distinctive,
> unique tonal character, which impresses nearly everyone, some favorably
and
> some otherwise.  A very interesting piano indeed.
> 
> Hope these opinions are of some interest or usefulness to you and/or your
> customer.
> 
> Wasson Kerrick, RPT
> Owensboro, KY
>