[pianotech] Plate Repair

[Delwin D Fandrich]

All the evidence I've found so far suggests that the manufacturers of the
day considered the life expectancy of their products to be about 20 to 30
years. By this time they assumed that the musicality of their instruments
would have degraded to the extent that no discerning and respectable family
would want to continue using them and would be back for a replacement. There
was concern over what to do with all the "old" pianos that would be coming
back to the dealers warerooms and the manufacturers were licking their chops
in anticipation of this steady stream of new business. 

 

Well, we all know how well that worked out.and here we are, something over
100 years on wondering how to convince the owner of a piano that the
manufacturer was prepared to write off some 70 or 80 years back that his
piano, now with a catastrophic failure to a main structural member, may not
be worth repairing. 

 

I'm all for rebuilding/remanufacturing these old things-but somewhere the
dollars have to match reality.

 

ddf

 

Delwin D Fandrich

Piano Design & Fabrication

620 South Tower Avenue

Centralia, Washington 98531 USA

del at fandrichpiano.com

ddfandrich at gmail.com
Phone  360.736.7563

 

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Terry Farrell
Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2010 5:41 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Plate Repair

 

I didn't say it, but regardless of the manufacturer, when a piano is that
old, your recommendation is quite appropriate IMHO.

 

Terry Farrell

 

On Dec 1, 2010, at 8:25 AM, J Patrick Draine wrote:





Most of the Haines "original parts/heirloom aura" pianos I've encountered
over the decades have been in pretty dreadful condition, and didn't appear
to have been "built for the ages." Make sure you give them a quote for
"complete remanufacture", along with that plate repair. If they negotiate
for less, at least they are forewarned, in writing.

Patrick Draine

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