Junk Pianos

[Farrell]

Hi Del. Yes I do my best to politely inform the owner that their piano is likely to hold back even a beginner. I usually desperately look for some lead-in for it. In this particular case I asked the lady if she had noticed that the hammers were bobbling. She said "oh, is it not supposed to sound like that?" I demonstrated on one of the few notes that did not double/triple strike. She finally realized what it was doing. Then I told her what I often tell such a piano owner, that the piano "appears to be in an advanced state of wear" (I like that) and that I could not recommend appropriate repairs, as they would quickly amount to at least several hundred dollars and they would still have a substandard piano. I quickly suggest considering replacement.

Just when they start feeling kinda bad, I will tell them that the current piano really puts them in a good position for finding a replacement because they currently have a piano that functions (geesh - tooooo kind a word), and that gives them the luxury of taking a bit of time looking about and not having to settle for the first one that comes along.

Unfortunately, I usually see the same piano at the same home the next year.

And equally unfortunately, if they do find a new piano........he says to her "hey honey, we can probably get a few hundred bucks for this old piano"!

And hence the topic comes full circle. Who wants to start the trebuchet thread???

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Delwin D Fandrich" <pianobuilders@olynet.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2002 6:32 PM
Subject: Re: Junk Pianos


> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: February 09, 2002 11:32 AM
> 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.
> >
> 
> 
> 
> Terry, have you ever considered (nicely and politely) saying something like,
> "Mrs. X, this piano is really not suitable for your children to be playing
> on. If it were a horse the kindest thing we could do with it would be to
> shoot it and put it out of its misery. I cannot, with a clear conscience,
> tune or service this piano knowing the musical harm it will bring to your
> family." And then either leaving or, hopeful, spending a few minutes
> answering her questions and advising her on the selection of a better piano.
> 
> If I had taken an old clunker car to my mechanic for a minimal tune-up for
> our teenage daughter to learn to drive with that's basically what he would
> have told me. If you take your obsolete computer in to have it 'gone over'
> so your kids can learn word processing, etc., that's what you will be told.
> Why are we so reluctant to tell our clients the bitter truth about these
> things.
> 
> We don't have to be nasty about it and we don't have to call them (the
> pianos, I mean) disparaging names but, surely, we can at some point decline
> to continue working on them.
> 
> Del
> 
>