Custom-built pianos

[Fenton Murray]

Dale,
I'm thrilled to hear the wonderful completion of your D's journey through your hands, I plan to visit it. Something's wrong with your link to the theatre.
Fenton
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Erwinspiano at aol.com 
  To: pianotech at ptg.org 
  Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2007 10:16 PM
  Subject: Custom-built pianos


    Hi  David
    Of course ,I'm beating that drum with you.  I didn't see Dave Porritts post. Can some one e-mail it to me.
    Black Beauty....My D, did sell ....finally...for the figures mentioned but it was worth more than that in reality & in time these custom built pianos from a variety of small shops will (hopefully)have the kind of reputation required to command higher prices than the mass produced one.
    I as David A. stated I did deliver the D to it's location at the Arkely center for the performing arts in Eureka Calif just yesterday.  The Center is a 1920's theatre that has been meticulously restored & is a perfect acoustic location to enshrine this wonderful full voiced piano. 
    After setting it up, those of us there walked about the auditorium to hear how it spoke in the room.
    I was totally & completly gratified that, after the arduous restoration, sweat, tears & joy of experienced music in concerts & tedious /marketing that, IMHO, it's final acoustic destiny was worthy of the effort & will be a center piece of the musical performing community on the extreme Northern Calif coast for years to come. See www.ArkelyCenter.com/
    Thanks to all those, who upon hearing Black Beauty In Rochester,The Atelier & the 05 Sacramento Convention uttered  words of praise , encouragement & enthusiasm.
    Kindest regards
    Dale Erwin

  On Feb 23, 2007, at 4:42 AM, Porritt, David wrote:
      This is the way of all the top instruments.  


    That's exactly right. Custom restoration, custom building. It's all in the quality and THEN THE MARKETING, which most artisans don't have a clue about, or are afraid to spend or don't have the money (they think) to spend on the crucial third leg of the stool---
    1. excellent design & impeccable, stand-out capabilities to produce a super product 
    2. reliable means of production
      3. effective marketing/branding. 


    Lack of this last one, along with cash flow issues, kills most artisan efforts, or keeps them in the perceptual "doghouse" vis-a-vis not being a "serious player at the high end." 


      The top French horns, flutes, violins etc. are all made in very small shops.  The fact that we now have a few pianos being made this way is progress.  


    Yup. And I'm determined to build a brand and a desire for my and other artisans' truly hand-built custom pianos.
    I think the scoreboard proves it's possible: I've sold, in the past 6 months, a Mason & Hamlin concert grand for $78,000, a Steinway "C" for $66,000, and I'm about to sell my Hamburg "B" for $55,000---and I could sell it to this guy for $10K more if I hadn't put the $55K figure on my website and handouts---he flat fell in love with the instrument, and has been looking at "B's" between $65-75K; Dale Erwin sold the "D" I had for a while to a venue in northern California for at least $75 or 80K---so I think I can say with certitude that there's a market for our best work, and that that market can be found
    and served by artisan rebuilders. 
      The best factory made instruments of any type will never approach the small shop output in quality.  It’s just that in our history this phenomenon has excluded pianos.  Now it doesn’t.

    Hooray.

      dp



    David Andersen


  Dale Erwin--Piano Restorations
  4721 Parker rd
  Modesto, Ca. 95357
  Shop 209-577-8397
  Web site http://www.Erwinspiano.com 
  Restoration & Sales of
  Steinway & Sons & other fine pianos.
  " Soundboards by Design"





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