New hammers for Hamilton school piano

[Joseph Garrett]

Farrell,
PPPPPPPPHHHHHHHHHHHHHSSSSSSSSSSSSZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Joe Garrett, R.P.T.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 12:04 PM
Subject: Re: New hammers for Hamilton school piano


> Just a few comments on your rude comments on the Hamilton studio.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Robert Goodale" <rrg@nevada.edu>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 2:47 PM
> Subject: Re: New hammers for Hamilton school piano
>
>
> > Joseph Garrett wrote:
> >
> > > Robert,
> > > In case you haven't noticed, the Baldwin Hamilton is the piano of
choice
> for
> > > an awful lot of schools.
> >
> > Hmmm.  Or to rephrase, "The Baldwin Hamilton is the awful piano of
choice
> for a
> > lot of schools".
> >
> > My apologies to those diehard Hamilton lovers out there.  I hate the
damn
> > things.  I find them rather nasal in tone and ill designed.  Even beyond
> the
> > "corfam" days, (or however you spell it),  I have seldom found one of
> these
> > actions that was aligned with everything properly.  This compounded with
> those
> > cheep Mexican made parts with their crazed wide grain, and glue joints
> that
> > cause hammers to loosen randomly after only a few years of service.  All
> the
> > newer ones I have serviced seem to have tuning pins so tight they feel
> like
> > they are set in epoxy.  And can you think of any other modern school
that
> > requires so much effort just to remove the key cover?  And then there's
> those
> > cheep screws that round out after just a few times of disassembly.  And
> those
> > stupid things they cast into the plate that the action screws into just
so
> that
> > they can save three bucks on action bolts, the result being that there
is
> no
> > way to adjust the action's horizontal position.  Of course it would be
> futile
> > anyway seeing how the screws never want to come out voluntarily.  Then
> there's
> > the ribs that don't miter into the case.  How many of those have
> separated?
> > (techs in the mid west know what I'm talking about).  It doesn't seem
all
> that
> > uncommon either that the bridge caps separate.  I've lost track of how
> many of
> > those damn things I've had to destring and reglue.  Jeeze, and what of
> those
> > older ones that open up like a Chevy Nova with a prop stick?  Only
Baldwin
>
> > could come up with that idea.
> >
> > Okay,  that's my view.  If you love them then go and hug one.  When the
> > university asked me to pick some old pianos out of storage to use toward
> trade
> > for a new 'D' we were buying I gave them all of the Hamiltons we had,
good
> > riddance to them.  Flame me if you must but It won't change my position.
> I
> > guess if we are talking about schools with no budget for replacements
then
> I
> > extend my deepest sympathy.
> >
> > Just my happy opinion.
> >
> > Rob Goodale, RPT
> > Las Vegas, NV
>
> Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, amen, amen, amen, yes, yes, yes, for sure! The
> truth sometimes hurts.
> I could not have said any of this better! These are CONSISTENTLY some of
the
> WORST pianos I service.
>
> Terry Farrell
> Piano Tuning & Service
> Tampa, Florida
> mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
>