Bug was Electric piano

[Farrell]

Here, here! My last vehicle before the present: 1963 Beetle Bug. Red. Best
engineered vehicle on road. Likely good I got rid of it before going into
piano technology though. I would have had to put a roof rack on top to bring
a grand action back to me shop! And then you have the rain problem!

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

----- Original Message -----
From: "Meyer Carl" <cmpiano@home.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 11:12 PM
Subject: Re: Electric piano


> Ed;
>
> I'm not sure I agree with your analogy.
>
> A piano that sounds and performs well is a delight compared to a PSO.
It's
> been said that you get what you pay for.  Not true.  You get what you pay
> for if you are very lucky.  You can pay a lot for junk if you are not
lucky
> or not smart.
>
> A Volkswagen will get you where you want to go, get you home again and it
> won"t tell anybody where you've been.  And it will do it cheaper than most
> other cars.
>
> You are right that Ferrari mechanics make more money because their owners
> like to brag to their friends how much it costs to fix it every other week
> whereas the vw owners brag how cheap their cars are to run.
>
> The reason to own a piano is very different than the reason to own a car.
> The primary function of a piano is to produce good music.  The secondary
> goal should be appearance and snob appeal.  For a car it should be the
> primary function of transportation.  Secondary should be snob appeal,
> comfort etc.  Transportation is not the main reason to buy a Ferrari, I
> suspect.
>
> AND!  Ferraris don't care who drives them!
>
> I used to  compare a good stereo system and a cheap boom box to a VW and a
> Cadillac, but I never liked the illustration, because I REALLY have a lot
of
> respect
> for Volkswagens.  At least the old beetles.
>
> My rant for the day.
>
> Carl Meyer
> Santa Clara, ca.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <A440A@AOL.COM>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 6:01 PM
> Subject: Re: Electric piano
>
>
> > Horace writes:
> > << Or, a
> > > room full of 50's/60's vintage Wurlitzer and/or Kimball consoles to
try
> to
> > > keep in tune?  I am not sure which is more frustrating....except that,
> as
> > > one very well known technician once said:  "Tuning a Kimball is like
> trying
> > > to nail Jello to a wall" - so, one starts tuning, and, when the big
hand
> > > goes around once, one stops and moves on, without having to worry
about
> > >
> >
> > And Billbrpt responds:
> > >>I'm sure there are abundant numbers of
> > piano technicians out there who have not had the kind of lofty career
> > described by this man who could figure out how to tune and maintain a
> group
> > of Kimball 42" Consoles and have no trouble at all doing so.'
> > It takes only the most basic set of skills, common sense and common
> > knowledge.<<
> >
> > Greetings,
> >     It is obvious that a point has been missed.  It takes very little to
> > "figure out how to tune and maintain a group of Kimball 42" Consoles and
> have
> > no trouble at all doing so."  When you get to the level of compromise
that
> > these low-end pianos represent, there is little need for high-level
> skills,
> > they are the dregs of the market and all that is required to "tune" and
> > service them" is the most rudimentary skills.  That is why the majority
of
> > them are tuned by the cheapest tuners in any given locality. In my
> > experience, (which was at one time considerable), their owners rarely
are
> > willing to pay top dollar for the techs with the most expertise.
> >     It is a great day in a tech's life when they have generated enough
> > professional work to say "no more spinets or consoles" and specialize in
> > grands.   I would encourage all tuners to aspire towards continually
> working
> > to improve their skills, both technical and personal, and filling their
> > clientele with  better and better instruments, leaving the low-end work
to
> > the beginners.  It is like comparing Volkswagon mechanics to Ferrari
> > mechanics,  the latter often begin as the former, but had the chops,
> > opportunity, and ambition to attract better and better paying work.
> >    There is a difference between having 25 years experience, and having
> one
> > year's experience 25 times.
> > Regards,
> > Ed Foote RPT
> >
> >
>