The Steinway tradition (was SV rebuild)

[A440A at aol.com]

Greetings,
   Ric writes:     
<If you want to go as authentic in the eye of the market, and perhaps stay as 
close to

    tradition as possible.. then perhaps the Steinway rebuild shop is the 
place to go.  >>
 
  I wrote: 
>  It depends on what you mean by authentic.  More than a few

        "traditions" have been left behind.  The modern factory boards are 
not the

        same as the >>

Ric responds:
<< Gee... and I kinda thought I had all your (anticipated from somewhere or 

another) comments pretty well covered with the bit about <<in the eye of 

the market <<

        Well, there was that "and" in there, as though one wanted to both  "go

    as authentic in the eye of the market" , *and *  "perhaps stay as close to

    tradition as possible.. "

       This points up the paradox of modern Steinway marketing.  Staying 
"authentic" in the eye of the market doesn't mean staying as close to tradition as 
possible.  It is possible to be more traditional, it just costs more than 
they think they can recover.  Hammers are a prime example.  The one component 
that is more responsible for the "Steinway Sound" than any other is nowhere near 
like the hammers used when this brand made its name.  A Steinway hammer from 
the 1920's is not the lacquered blob of felt that is on these pianos, today.  
Lots of other differences, too.  Not the least is the poor alignement of the 
action components,which, I believe is directly attributable to less labor being 
spent on construction.
    The "eye of the market" depends on a lot of customer ignorance, and it 
seems that the marketing department likes it like that.  My local dealer is fond 
of telling new Steinway customers that I am not qualified to work on a 
Steinway, because I haven't been to the school.  He doesn't realize I have been to 
the school, as well as graduating from the North Bennett School, as well as 
maintaining a school full of my Steinway restorations,(which are increasingly 
bringing me business from other schools in the state when they play them), as 
well as maintaining the home Steinways of three Steinway Artists in town for the 
last 28 years.  I am not going to say anything to him about this, preferring 
to let him cut his own throat.   
    What I think he is trying to avoid is having a new piano examined by 
someone that is not under the thumb of the factory.  No need to tell customers 
about all those nicked front pins, now, is there?  There is a long list of normal 
defects that would have to be addressed if customers had objective 
evaluations of their new Steinway.  Is this tradition? 
Regards,


    

Ed Foote RPT 
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
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