SOJ

[Farrell]

Ok, where do you think we are going with this one: I got a call yesterday
from a young woman who stated that she was a beginner/intermediate piano
player. She and her dad looked at a Steinway baby grand piano that was 80 or
90 years old. Now she appears a tad ahead of the game (but only a teeny tiny
tad) in that she asked me: "how much is it worth?", which was followed by
"it is in fair condition, and I KNOW it needs REFINISHING" - "and how much
does refinishing cost, because we want it completely redone".

I gave her a very brief lecture about 10,000 little parts, all wood & felt &
leather & compaction & cracks & warping, etc. and finished up with "one of
the services I offer is to do a thorough pre-purchase inspection of the
piano where I remove the action and inspect all the mechanisms and the
strings, bridges, and soundboard, etc. - you may wish to consider scheduling
an appointment." She responded: "OK, thank you very much" - "click".

We'll see. Time will tell. How much you want to bet I get a call 2 months
from now to tune a "completely rebuilt" Steinway baby grand that is all worn
out and has a sloppy non-grain filled finish (hey, maybe even in ebony -
that really has eye-appeal! - Maybe they will even spray the plate gold, and
the tuning pins, and the agraffes, and the strings, and the bridges - boy
the possibilities are endless).

I guess all we can do is to try the best we can when presented the
opportunity to educate someone about the piano - preferably before they have
Mr. Ima Hack "rebuild" their piano.

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Servinsky" <tompiano@gate.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2001 6:13 AM
Subject: Re: SOJ


> Diane,
>  The description "completely rebuilt" has become my pet peeve when
> describing what work has actually been done.  Like you, Ron , and others
who
> have put their 2cents to work on this thread, I get a big turn-off at the
> very mention of a new customer telling me their piano has been "completely
> rebuilt".  My enthusiasm has been crumbled too many times at the hopes
that
> maybe one of these times the customer actually, in fact, had the piano
> "completely rebuilt". However, my blame doesn't go any further than the
> tuner/ technician....and I use the word technician very loosely, who sold
> the bill of goods in the first place.  There's still a huge void in this
> industry establishing any type of across-the-board standardizations, thus
> when Elmer Fudd saz this wasklely pianer needs wepletely rebuilt, the
> results speak for themselves.
> I have a found way, though, which generally indicates over the phone
> conversation if and when a customer actually had had the work completely
> done. Those who have spent a tremendous amounts of money on an incredible
> rebuilt, generally searched thoroughly for the right person to do the
work.
> After the work was completed they won't let just anybody touch the piano.
> They are much more selective and careful as to who they let to work on the
> instrument.  Their phone conversation usually takes on the form of an
> interview...they doing the interviewing.  Then I have a hunch that in
fact,
> they had the piano rebuilt.
> Tom Servinsky,RPT
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Diane Hofstetter" <dianepianotuner@hotmail.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2001 12:33 AM
> Subject: Re: SOJ
>
>
> > From:
> >
> > Diane Hofstetter
> > 245-M Mount Hermon Rd.#343
> > Scotts Valley, CA 95066
> > ph  831-438-6222
> > fax 831-430-9741
> > dianepianotuner@hotmail.com
> >
> > It's almost a certainty that "this isn't a fix, but it will get
> > >you going temporarily", will morph in the customer's mind until it
glows
> in
> > >the dark as "COMPLETE REBUILD". .
> > >
> > >Ron N
> >
> > I've had customers tell me "My valuable antique upright has been
> completely
> > refelted" and found 11 damper felts replaced; "My husband gave me this
> > antique Steinway upright, completely rebuilt, as a wedding gift" (it had
> one
> > piece of pretty, new felt woven in and out along the top line of the
bass
> > bridge pins, just barely covering the large crack); "This grand was just
> > completely rebuilt, now I need to have it refinished" (it had one piece
of
> > pretty red felt covering the crack in the plate!, nothing else done to
> it).
> >
> > I came to the conclusion that if they have spent anything over $200 on
> > repairs to the piano, in their minds it is "completely rebuilt".
> >
> > Diane
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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> >
>