[pianotech] pulley key...

[Tom Driscoll]

One popular marketing technique in the 70's for these "Grand" - Kincaid- Marantz things was shopping center parking lot sales. 
I saw this in Sebring Florida .   They would advertise on the local radio station and newspaper , show up with a couple of tractor trailers  and set up a tent where you could test drive the different models ( which I suspect were the only ones prepped ). Financing was available and they were poised with smaller delivery trucks to follow you home with the same  model piano from the big truck. I was told some years later by a dealer friend that these characters would sell the loans in a bundle to a finance company and essentailly cash out and get out of town. 
 I  see them rarely now  -- mostly on craigs list -  and the most surprising thing to me is that 30 -40  years later a sound will still come out when you press down on the keys.
The keybeds and backposts would warp and the back can fall apart all over the place. Front legs snap off  at a glance. I remember one where bunches of strings were never placed through the rear bridge pins.
 As Del mentioned- where was " Quality control" ?      Ya wonder how  that could get past the chipping - tuning process at the factory . Amazing !
     Tom D.
     
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Delwin D Fandrich 
  To: pianotech at ptg.org 
  Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 3:46 PM
  Subject: Re: [pianotech] pulley key...


  No, the idea was that the dealer could run newspaper ads and put up big banners advertising, "New Grand Pianos from $295!" Even back in the 1960s that was a pretty low price and the strategy did bring in few customers. The dealer would then try to upgrade those customers to a real piano but there were always some who insisted on buying what was advertised.

   

  ddf

   

  Delwin D Fandrich
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