Kimball Whitney

[SidewaysWell1713@aol.com]

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In a message dated 1/5/03 4:02:48 PM Central Standard Time,=20
tomtuner@attbi.com writes:


> Perhaps you see this differently than I, but you will notice that despite=20=
my=20
> =E2=80=9Crant =E2=80=9Con Bill I would never tell him what to include in h=
is=20
> contributions. Yes I found his post infuriating and responded as such. If=20
> you=E2=80=99ve been on this list for long you will acknowledge that I=E2=
=80=99m not alone=20
> concerning this fellow.
>=20
>             Tom Driscoll RPT
>=20
>=20

What I said wasn't directed at you personally as much as it was at the many=20
people I have seen take a stab at Kimball pianos at every opportunity.  And=20
every time they do and I see it, it well, not *infuriates* but does get me t=
o=20
take a stand for them.

I've spent long hours working on certain Kimball products when no one else=20
would.  No one would clean out the dirt (it wasn't put there by the factory)=
,=20
no one would take the action out to tighten the flanges (the factory didn't=20
loosen them), no one would level the keys (the factory didn't send the piano=
=20
out with them unlevel), no one would adjust the lost motion (the factory=20
didn't send it out that way), no one would adjust the let-off (the factory=20
had it correct when the piano left), no one would replace the deteriorated=20
grommets (they weren't that way when it left the factory) no one would raise=
=20
the pitch to standard (the factory did).

If everyone will do these things for any other piano but NOT a Kimball, is i=
t=20
the fault of the piano or the manufacturer or the attitude of technicians wh=
o=20
see and hear other technicians badmouthing Kimball products and wanting to b=
e=20
among the "good old boys", and go right along with it?

I'm afraid it doesn't stop with Kimball products either.  When I said=20
"virtually every piano", I meant it.  I have seen virtually every make, from=
=20
Steinway on down called a "PSO" or "junk".  I take particular note of the=20
attitude which some people have such as in this post from the archives,

     <<"It takes very little to figure out how to tune and maintain a group=20
of Kimball 42" Consoles and have no trouble at all doing so. When you get to=
=20
the level of compromise that these low-end pianos represent, there is little=
=20
need for high-level skills, they are the dregs of the market and all that is=
=20
required to "tune" and service them is the most rudimentary skills. That is=20
why the majority of them are tuned by the cheapest tuners in any given=20
locality. In my experience, (which was at one time considerable), their=20
owners rarely are willing to pay top dollar for the techs with the most=20
expertise. ">>

The same person says in another post,=20

     <<"If one is tuning junk, then the machine is of limited value, as it=20
cannot make the compromises required to handle a poor scale.">>

If it takes so *little* skill, then why is the "poor scale" such a big=20
problem?

To the kind of person who has these opinions, I will always have a contrary=20
one and will make very good money satisfying the owner of the piano and=20
proving that the only reason for expressing such an opinion is an attempt to=
=20
make others have a far more exalted estimation of worth than is really=20
demonstrable.

The chances are far better that the piano in question can be made useful for=
=20
the usual fee or a modest fee than one which is more than the customer can=20
afford. I would gladly tune and service it and move on to the next one and=20
not ever think that I was doing either the customer or myself or my=20
profession a disservice.

For the record:  Kimball did not go bankrupt the way Baldwin did.  The=20
company wisely saw that there was an increasingly smaller demand for their=20
lower end but very durable pianos and decided to quit making them and move o=
n=20
to something else which *was* in demand and which could make a profit.

We, as technicians can continue to make a profit from the tuning, maintenanc=
e=20
and repair of that which Kimball (and the many other manufacturers like=20
Kimball) have already pushed out the door.  Profits can easily be made in=20
buying and selling of these vintage instruments, the manufacturer will never=
=20
even get a portion of that profit.

Yes, there were very poorly built, useless pianos but Kimball's products=20
should not be thought of as all being in that one category.  Most any of=20
their pianos which were truly defective and unserviceable were long ago=20
condemned.  Whenever you see someone putting them down, be suspicious of tha=
t=20
person's motives.
=20
Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin
<A HREF=3D"http://www.billbremmer.com/">Click here: -=3Dw w w . b i l l b r=20=
e m m e r . c o m =3D-</A>

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