Junk Pianos

[Kevin E. Ramsey]

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Terry
    I'm coming into this without reading the other posting, which I =
should do, but I had to write this without being influenced first.=20
    These people aren't hurting, are they? You basically have to tell =
them the truth about their "free" piano. After all, you're the expert. =
Tell them that you don't want to see them wasting their money on keeping =
this thing going. It's like buying a house that needs three times the =
purchase price put back into it to keep it from falling down. Not a =
bargain by any means. Tell them that some less scrupulous tuners would =
be more than happy to keep coming back time after time, but that you =
just can't see them throwing their money down a hole on this instrument. =
If they like to keep track of their money, they'll appreciate you trying =
to save them some.
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Farrell=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2002 12:32 PM
  Subject: Junk Pianos


  Forgive me, I know this has been said before, but the time has arisen =
again.

  Why is it so hard to throw out a junk piano? Why is it they stay =
around soooo long? People throw cars out when they are 10 years old. Why =
not pianos?

  I tuned a 1960s Aeolian spinet the other day for a new client. Hammer =
cores without hammer felt (didn't sound any worse than the ones with =
felt), some hammers replaced with big bass hammers in the tenor, some =
hammer felts held on with thread. Loose tuning pins pounded down so that =
the coil was imbedded in the plate, BAD false beats in the tenor, =
big-time bobbling hammers, let-off at 3/4", hammers so worn they have =
1/2" wide flat contact surface. I could go on and on.......you've seen =
them. Just holding together with thread and tape. This thing plays and =
sounds as bad as any of them.

  Two children are taking lessons and practice on this junker.

  This piano is in a new development. Estimate $200,000 home. New =
beautiful furniture everywhere. Giant screen TV built into 2-story =
marble wall - along with home theatre sound system. Polished granite =
kitchen. Two $40,000+ SUVs sitting in driveway. One with all the add-on =
lights, iron front grilles, etc. for when she has to cross the Himalayas =
on her way to the grocery store. And in the midst of all this is this =
"free" beat-up dysfunctional crud piano. What gives?

  They will toss the SUV when it gets a rip in the padded leather seat, =
but they will subject their children to this dysfunctional pile of junk.

  End of rant..............for now.

  Terry Farrell


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