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Greetings,
Thank you for your response. You are not alone in loving this
work. Me too. I guess I have to get over my past resentment when my mother (with
every good intention) purchased a spinet to replace our old upright (which I
would have liked repaired).
That spinet really discouraged me. It just didnt play well or
sound right to me. Now that I have studied and played classical, I still feel
that way.
However everything you said makes good sense. I know that a piano
is a personal preference and that different pianos, yes even spinets, satisfy
some folks.
It all depends on one's needs. As you mentioned the VW; 60 mph
I refurbish "orphan" pianos and have a playing backround. When
folks come to me, I make it a point to find out what type of music a person plays
and I can see where they are in their studies and where they are most likley
going. (I used to teach) I feel as a pianist, that I have a responsibility to
make a judgement call on what a player's needs are and try to project what
playing they may come into. I am a proponent of piano playing. I want them to be
encouraged and to play and enjoy their instrument. If a kid is studying
classical for a couple of years, This may be seroius!! I am honest with them and
the parents. I tell them that they may not be satisfied with the touch and tone
of a spinet when they get into the thundering Beethoven. They usually don't
gravitate to the spinets anyway.(just as I didnt as a kid)
However, for example, I had a lady whose raised a family, all the
kids gone, and had moved to a small house and wanted something small to play
for hobby and for when the grandkids visit. She loved this spinet I had. And
that's fine. I try to make sure they like it before they take it. (Although I
dont understand why folks think spinets take up less room)(the length and for
the most part the depth of a spinet is almost the same as a larger upright) I
think its sort of an optical/spacial illusion that a spinet takes less room.
really only by height is that true)(the grandkids may not like it either) but
she was an adult who knew what she wanted. I often wonder: *If my grandparents
would have had a spinet, would I have wanted to play???*
I dont like to take in many orphan spinets. I feel it
inconscionable to sell them. It just feels sinful to take money for a piano that isnt up
to my playing standards, especially when I love to repair them, even if they
are spinets.
I didnt mean to offend you or make us look bad. I do find some of
the marketing comical such as; Acrosonic (dont get me wrong Acro's are decent
spinets), but it sounds like its related to the newly discovered supersonic
boom barrier which was broken around the 50's-60's, and that anything you play
on it becomes airborne in a sub-nuclear way or somthting. Again. dont get me
wrong an Acrosonic is a decent spinet, but some of those names/claims stenciled
on the harp plate!
You have to admit some of those marketing terms...are...pseudo
scientific, and meant to have a specific appeal, even if they do redesign a da
capo bar or something and give it a name.
I do understand what you are conveying about bashing, but from a
player's point of view it is tempting to jest about.
Every piano is some sort of playing opprotunity. Even the spinets,
although its not what I would prefer to play. I will gratefully keep in mind
your suggestion that it doesn't look professional to bash them. This, I
believe.
Long e-mails are fine. I am grateful for all they teach, heaven knows I need
the knowledge, and I didn't know that in professional circles some frown on
spinet bashing!
Respectfully,
Julia Gottchall.
Reading, PA
In a message dated 12/5/2004 3:36:51 PM Eastern Standard Time,
JWyatt1492@aol.com writes:
> Hello Julia,
>
> YES ! They made good pianos IF you compare
> apples to apples.
>
> They made thousands upon thousands of Sp. pianos
> starting in the mid 40,s. THAT was what was WANTED
> and NEEDED AT THAT TIME.
>
> There were several different BETSY-ROSS Sp.s
> The first was Scale 19 BUILT IN 1935-36 The bass
> section had about 36 notes and it was bad. Then there
> was the scale 21 it was better then the 21-A even
> better, then the 22- then 22A- 23 - 23A 24 - 24-A finally
> the scale 25. To my knowledge the last scale built.
>
> You could compare the Betsy,s to the $ 895.00 1950s
> V.W. car. it would NOT run 95 miles per hour. However
> it may very well run 60 miles per hour for two hundred
> thousand miles for peanuts.
>
> Their action is the only thing that developed a "pattern"
> fault and Lester did not build it. It had one connector
> that was made of plastic and had a propensity to break.
> In the late 40,s we tried repairing (glue, inserts ect. )
> them but soon found that to replace was the only way
> to go.
> Thank God for these plastic elbows as I have been
> replacing them for over 54 years. They bought several
> pairs of shoes for my kids.
>
> Grands!!!
>
> Their small Grand was scale "75" it was and is
> one of the BEST 4ft. 6in. grand's built. The scale
> 80 a 5ft 3in. was just fair. Their 6ft.1in. was a great
> piano. It used a W.N.G. 850-S action and frame.
> Many including me thought it was a knock-off of
> Steinway's round-tail "A". Their 9ft. Piano was an
> outstanding Concert Piano. Many including me
> thought it to be a knock-off of a Field-Lipman
> that was built by A.M.Hume.
>
> Julia, years ago I out grew my ego-
> stroking. I would roll my eyes, I would belch
> and I would burp. I now chringe when I hear my
> fellow professionals participate in BASHING any
> piano.
>
> As a profession I often hear complaints about the
> lack of respect we receive from within our industry.
> With this sort of bashing, belching, burping
> and raw ego stroking is there any wonder why?
> If we act like amateurs we will surely be regarded
> as such. I personal find this saddening. I love this
> profession as it has been very good to me and my
> family. Am I alone in feeling this way?
>
> Please forgive this being so long.
> Respectfully,
> Jack Wyatt
>
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