I'll tell ya anyway. :-( I was a victim :-( (grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr) before I got into this profession. It made me so mad I went out and learned how to fix 'em. My brand new Steinway provided ample opportunity to "figure out what is causing this problem". For instance "Hmmmmm, it says here in this book about piano design that soundboards are crowned slightly convex toward the strings. I wonder why my soundboard is crowned 1/4" CONCAVE toward the strings. Maybe this is what they mean by 'Diaphramatic'?" I am not stupid. My wife is a VERY intelligent woman. We had wanted to buy a piano for a couple of years. We decided we would buy a USED piano for UNDER $1,000. We bought a NEW 1098, after all the helpful guidance from those hard working volunteers (uh, ha) helping us (yea, right) at the university sale (amazing, isn't it - kinda makes one want to cry). We both had the complete impression that the %&$#ing woman that sold us our "superior investment" at such a "once-in-a-lifetime bargain price" was a volunteer piano teacher from the university (turns out she worked for a Steinway dealer in Tennessee and made her commission on our purchase) and that our piano was an extra from the university that was never delivered (turns out that Steinway NY actually owned it and it had been all over the country to various "university sales"). Again, from the Steinway Web Page under Technical Info: "We urge you to adhere to the following recommendations which will help you minimize wear and tear and help you keep your piano in optimum condition. Don't position it in the path of an air conditioning outlet or a heating outlet. Don't put it near an evaporator cooler or a room humidifier. Don't put it close to an uninsulated outside wall. If you think of yourself rooted to any of these spots and subjected to the changes of temperature and humidity thereabouts, you will be able to imagine what a piano in the same location would have to endure. Pianos placed in such locations cannot be expected to stay in tune and keep their adjustment. More important, the instrument subjected to such environmental insult may be permanently damaged. Ideally, your Steinway piano should reside in a temperate atmosphere where relative humidity ranges from 45% to 50%. If this is not possible remember that the idea is to keep environmental factors within a fairly narrow range." Did ya read that: DON'T subject your Steinway to changes in temperature and humidity because it "may be permanently damaged". I wonder if the Steinway folks conducting/coordinating the Steinway "University Sale" read it. My piano sat in a semi trailer in the parking lot of the University of South Florida Music Department for ONE FULL WEEK IN JULY IN FLORIDA THROUGH MANY THUNDERSTORMS AND BURNING HOT SUN. (Just think for one minute what the temperature and humidity was like inside the trailer!) Could this have been related to my pinblock cracking and pulling away from the piano back frame??? It seems apparent to me that some (or many) of the pianos at these sales are rejects or slow movers from around the country - maybe some returns from disgruntled customers??? - that have been moved and banged all around the country, stored in damaging environments, and generally mistreated. Oh, boy. I'm going to stop here before I get myself in trouble. Wow. I thought I had gotten over all that. I guess not. I can still feel myself start to shake with anger. This helps though. Thanks for asking about University Sales. If you have any other questions on this topic, don't hesitate to ask. I would be happy to share my thoughts. :-) And here I be, with thanks in no small part to Steinway. P.S. My 1098 (which I traded in for a Boston grand a couple years ago) still sits at the Steinway dealer with a price tag on it of $16,300 and a big heavy box sitting on top of it (the box has wood samples with various finishes for a customer to view optional finishes when selecting a new piano). I move the box most months when we have our chapter meeting there (I move it over to one of the other dozen studio-sized new pianos surrounding my 1098). The next month the box is back on top of my old piece of %&$# 1098. I wonder why. Could it be related to the pinblock/frame separation??? Ahhhh, nothing but world-class, investment-grade, fine instruments. Oh boy, there I go again. Terry Farrell Piano Tuning & Service Tampa, Florida mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2000 2:55 AM Subject: Re: Manufacturer University Deals > > > Farrell wrote: > > > Where do I begin. I do not have one positive thought about these RIP-OFF > > "events". Two weeks ago we even had a "special sale from the Aspen Music > > Festival" at our local Steinway dealer. I ask how is a dealer going to move > > hundreds of pianos from the store/warehouse or whereever to the university, > > tune them, pay extra sales people (yea, I know, you thought they were > > university music teachers volunteering their time - they let you believe > > that), rent the space ,etc. AND sell the pianos at a price lower than that > > available at the store where they were already sitting, tuned, etc.? Answer: > > They don't. They Rip People Off. I think I will stop writing now before I > > punch my computer. > > > > Don't ask me how I know all this. > > > > Terry Farrell > > Piano Tuning & Service > > Tampa, Florida > > mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com > > > > I certainly know the kind of event you are talking about Terry... tho I suppose > I wouldnt be quite as strong in my attack on such sales methods. Still... I just > keep thinking what all this kinda thing says about the state of affairs in our > industry.. sheesh... And some techs wonder why some other techs just "wanna tune > Steinways"... to put a point on it. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: <Wimblees@AOL.COM> > > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > > Sent: Monday, October 16, 2000 7:19 PM > > Subject: Re: Manufacturer University Deals > > > > > In a message dated 10/16/00 10:27:28 PM !!!First Boot!!!, > > cedel@supernet.com > > > writes: > > > > > > << Friends, > > > > > > I'd like more information on these university sales. They are advertised > > > here > > > from time to time as a way to save lots of bucks buying a piano that is > > used > > > only > > > one year. I've always considered them suspect. Would some of you like > > to > > > educate me? Thanks. > > > > > > Regards, > > > Clyde Hollinger > > > >> > >
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