Steinway

[Farrell]

They just bought Kelly & Kluge within the last couple years. For 50 years
they had several hundred pounds worth of non-Steinway parts in their
semi-Steinways.

I'm not trying to make any major point here. Just countering their crud
marketing hype with crud. I've had my bad experiences with that
company......and............well, let's just leave it at that.

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Terry Sheetz" <tsheetz@mediaone.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2001 7:20 PM
Subject: Steinway


> I received the following information from a former Steinway
> administrative employee, upon sharing the prior posts with him:
>
> The truth is:  Steinway had to move the casting process out of New York
> to comply with the EPA.
> Steinway currently owns the casting company in Ohio.  Steinway also owns
> Kluge, the manufacturer
> of the keys and keyframes and even some of the forests that the wood is
> harvested from!
>
> The only thing they do not manufacture for example are:  Certain
> hardware
> items, screws, strings, tuning pins, felt etc....these items of course
> fall
> under the basic category of supplies.
>
> Terry Sheetz
> New Brighton, MN
> Associate (planning RPT exam completion--2 to go)
>
>
>
>
>
>                Farrell wrote:
>
>                 > My thoughts on "We want Steinway parts only".
>                 >
>                 > Pound for pound, the pre-1950 Steinways coming out of
> top
> rebuilding shops
>                 > with Renner/Abel action parts and Stanwood
> modifications,
> Bolduc/Gravagne
>                 > soundboards, custom made bridges, Sanderson bass
> strings,
> etc. have more
>                 > Steinway parts than Steinways coming from the Steinway
>
> factory since about
>                 > 1950. At least those rebuilt Steinways have a Steinway
>
> plate (cast in the
>                 > Steinway factory). Post-1950 factory Steinways have
> aftermarket plates (made
>                 > in Springfield, Ohio). A pre-1950 rebuilt Steinway has
>
> perhaps 900 lbs. of
>                 > "Genuine Steinway Parts". A post-1950 factory Steinway
>
> has, what, about 500
>                 > lbs. of "Genuine Steinway Parts". Someone should call
> 'em
> on this one!
>                 >
>                 > I hate Steinway's marketing department. How do they
> sleep
> at night?
>                 >
>                 > Terry Farrell
>                 > Piano Tuning & Service
>                 > Tampa, Florida
>                 > mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
>                 >
>                 > ----- Original Message -----
>                 > From: <A440A@AOL.COM>
>                 > To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
>                 > Sent: Friday, April 27, 2001 5:49 AM
>                 > Subject: Re: Steinway Policy.. was grafs.
>                 >
>                 > > Richard writes:
>                 > > <<This year he was to take the round on only
>                 > > one concert grand piano.. I am to do to the other
> one.... his reaction
>                 > > was...well uncomfortable to put it that way. >>
>                 > >
>                 > >      A State University here in Tennessee recently
> had
> Steinway send a man
>                 > > down to rehammer a D that was here.  Their local
> tech
> had already done
>                 > this
>                 > > once and they weren't happy about it.   The Steinway
>
> tech arrived, spent a
>                 > > day installing pre-hung hammers, regulated and
> voiced
> the instrument and
>                 > > left.
>                 > >     The factory's bill to the school was for $6,000.
>
> They are still not
>                 > > happy with the piano and I told them that I thought
> the
> soundboard was
>                 > > defective, but they should try a few Renner hammers
> in
> the problem section
>                 > > and see if it was a hammer problem or
> soundboard/sounding structure.  What
>                 > > was the reaction?
>                 > >      "Ooooh, no, we want Steinway parts, only!"
>                 > >      My response?  "Well then, there is no problem
> here,
> you already have
>                 > > Steinway parts installed by a factory Steinway
> technician!".
>                 > >    They are now considering a change of philosophy,
> and
> have asked me to
>                 > > completely restore an older A that they were
> planning on
> sending back to
>                 > the
>                 > > factory for the full treatment.  Steinway and Sons
> doesn't really seem to
>                 > > care about customer service, sadly.   Even after the
>
> large number of
>                 > pianos I
>                 > > have had sent there for board replacement, I don't
> get
> calls returned.  Go
>                 > > figure.
>                 > > REgards,
>                 > > Ed Foote RPT
>                 > >
>
>