---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Great post, Dave. Thanks for pointing out things many of us can forget whil= e=20 trying to hustle for a living. =20 Merry Christmas to you,=20 Dave Stahl In a message dated 12/12/04 10:45:23 AM Pacific Standard Time, bigda@gte.net= =20 writes: >=20 > Hey my colleagues------ >=20 >=20 > Just thought I=E2=80=99d share a little from the last week. I have a clie= nt, Don=20 > Beamsley, who has been a well-known and successful jazz player in SoCal=20 > forever; he=E2=80=99s played with every big band around, from Tommy Dorsey= , Horace Heidt,=20 > Glenn Miller, Tex Beneke----the list is endless; he was even the LA Dodger= =20 > organist for a while in the 60=E2=80=99s and 70=E2=80=99s. >=20 > So=E2=80=94he=E2=80=99s got a sweet Steinway B that he was given by his me= ntor, a 1930=20 > instrument. It was maintained throughout its life by mostly 2 legendary=20 > techs---first Cecil Short, the =E2=80=9Cman=E2=80=9D in the Pomona Valley=20= for many years,a nd then by=20 > Norman Neblett, an LA denizen and Golden Hammer recipient. I=E2=80=99ve b= een=20 > maintaining the piano for the last 18 years. >=20 > Anyway, you know the story---I=E2=80=99ve been nagging this guy for years=20= to do the=20 > work: the piano=E2=80=99s got all original parts and strings, and he=E2= =80=99s always used=20 > the traditional procrastinating musician=E2=80=99s excuses: =E2=80=9C I ju= st can=E2=80=99t pull the=20 > trigger now, DA---I can=E2=80=99t be sure if I=E2=80=99ll work this strong= next year, my=20 > wife=E2=80=99s gig stopped this year, I need a new roof---=E2=80=9Dwhateve= r. I=E2=80=99m a life-long=20 > musician; I=E2=80=99ve used them all. >=20 > He is so sweet, and so funny, and such a monstrously beautiful player, and= =20 > I=E2=80=99m such a soft touch in a certain way, that I made it no problem,= and just=20 > kept bringing the damn Protek ( the verdigris was out of control on this p= ig). >=20 > To make a long, long story very short, Don now has Class 3 Parkinson=E2= =80=99s=20 > Disease, has for 2 years, has lost 90 pounds, and his prognosis is delicat= e, to=20 > put it mildly. But he still rolls himself up to the piano and plays for a= n=20 > hour or so every day. >=20 > So a month ago I took his wife in the other room and just said now=E2=80= =99s the=20 > time, sweetie, for the bullshit to cease and for us to do something. =20 > So---because her cash flow at this point is questionable, we opted for the= battlefield=20 > triage: > --Rebuilt keyframe: key bushing, underfelt, backchecks and wires, clean an= d=20 > polish rail pins and captstans and glides, raise height and level keys > --repinned shanks, =E2=80=9Csmoked-out=E2=80=9D whippen flanges > --new knuckles > --rebuilt pedals and pedal mod > --hammers filed (very difficult and dicey) > --lift, level, seat strings > --COMPLETE action regulation > --RP and tune >=20 > THANKS SO MUCH, MICHAEL CAMPI. You did a great job on the keyframe, pedal= s,=20 > knuckles and shanks. >=20 > When I FINALLY got the damn thing playing =E2=80=9Cright---=E2=80=9D and t= hat took almost 2=20 > full days--- > Don rolled up and started playing; we were both crying. He loved it; he=20 > called me =E2=80=9Ca friggin=E2=80=99 genius.=E2=80=9D >=20 > This is what I work for; this is what I live for; I did the work at about=20 > 65% of what I would ordinarily charge; > The money is NOT the payoff. >=20 > To bring love and happiness to music lovers, music players, human beings=20 > with sweet hearts and beautiful intentions: this is what this work is all= =20 > about. I=E2=80=99m feeling good. >=20 > My love and respect to all..... >=20 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/26/44/a5/76/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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