Junk Pianos

[Billbrpt@AOL.COM]

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> End of rant..............for now.
> 
> l


Terry, it doesn't do any good to complain about this kind of situation here.  
We've all seen it and we've all dealt with it.  If you have enough work to 
do, then just tell them the facts, the piano is not suitable because it is 
unserviceable.  Yes, you'll often get the look of great disappointment and 
disbelief and also not get any money either (or perhaps only a small service 
call fee).

You can more easily get a service call fee in such a situation if you spend 
less time fuming over and condemning the piano and the last tuner if you take 
the time to spell out, illustrate and demonstrate the facts and talk to them 
seriously about the benefits of new piano ownership.  (You may also get a 
healthy commission from a dealer if they buy based on your recomendation). It 
will outlast the SUVs and all the other expensive consumer goods.  It can go 
to a grandchild when that time comes.  It is salable and sometimes at a gain 
rather than loss if the kids just don't take to it.

On the other hand, there is very little which can't be fixed, including all 
of the items you mentioned.  During my rebuilding days, I got an Aeolian 
piano for free that was deemed worthless from smoke and moisture damage.  I 
refinished it, cleaned it out, repainted the plate and restrung it including 
a rescaling job.  I sold it to a dealer for a price that suited me and the 
dealer sold it to a customer as a "good deal".  That was in the mid 1080's 
and I still tune that piano every year.  It is in a nice, suburban home where 
they also have expensive stuff.

I don't like Aeolian pianos any more than you do and very rarely, you'll find 
one that is really too far gone to be worth repair.  You can practice 
restringing skills, hammer and action replacement skills, key leveling and 
other regulation on a piano such as this and when you get to do the same with 
some really fine instruments, you'll have good skills.  But just complaining 
about all the "junk" pianos out there won't get you anything.

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin
 <A HREF="http://www.billbremmer.com/">Click here: -=w w w . b i l l b r e m m e r . c o m =-</A> 

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