Sarah, I think you and David are in agreement. Larry Fine goes into detail
in his book about how he gathers his data, and like Consumer Reports, a
large database of repair history from a large northeast retailer goes into
it (covering thousands of pianos of different brands). Variability of the
product is one assessment he makes, among many others. It's not just
good/bad like a movie review; it lets people choose the right product for
the right situation (home, concert, casual use, rehearsal room). See
http://pianobook.com.
It's just like the car service reps who, when confronted with an annoying
sound or behavior, say "They all do that". I think it's the contrast
between that casual attitude and the rapturous mysticism of the sales floor
("Piano of the Immortals") that's frustrating with S&S (especially on a
$110,000 product!). The trick is to get the service reps to say those
things next to a prospective customer...
--Cy--
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