<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1141" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=2>List:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>CHINESE PIANOS NOT JUNK!!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Dave Stahl, your remarks about Chinese pianos are = exaggerated, unfair and mostly untrue in my opinion. In your opening remarks you = state you have been working on many Seilers, Kawais, Mason & Hamilins and = Steinways. Why did you say that? You must want us to know you are an = elite technician working mostly for the musical elite. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>I've been servicing and selling Chinese pianos for = three years under three diferent names and I can tell you they are getting better = all the time. I absolutely have not experienced the problems you list in your post.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>No cracked soundboards.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>No bad pinblocks.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>The strings are not made of "bailing = wire."</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Key bushings the same as Japanese = pianos.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Key punchings not made of "gray fuzz",   geesh!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Key pins as straight as any make.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Pedal lyre and trap work as good as = any.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Brass hardward good as any.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Stay in tune normally.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Yes, more regulating is required but that's what I = do and once regulated they are okay.The finishes were a little messy three years ago = but they are better now.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Dave, if even a fraction of what you said was true I = would not be involved with these pianos. I don't want any bad days like you were = crying about. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>I was a Kawai dealer for 17 years. A few Kawais had = problems also and I actually had two replaced under warranty. I've had no bad = Korean or Chinese pianos and have had no unhappy customers that I know = about.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Dave, you were venting so I'll vent some = more.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>I was around when Yamaha came here in 1967. We = laughed at them but we didn't laugh very long. They were better that US pianos from day = one. Then we complained about Korean pianos and most of them were also better = than US pianos. Now we are blasting the Chinese. Yamaha, Kawai, Young Chang and = Samick are flocking over to China and Indonesia. (Read PTG Journal April 2003, = page 20.) Their dealers often won't even disclose to the buyer that some are = made in China. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>We all know that only a small percentage of people = own high end pianos. Most families do very well with Asian pianos. I service my = pianos well before delivery and after the sale. Schools, churches and families = all tell me they are pleased with their pianos. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Now if you find a bummer, don't blast the whole lot. = By the way, Weber is not made by Dongbei and the keys are not like "chewing = gum."  And Dongbei pianos are good too IMHO.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Some people resent China politics. As for their = pianos, I'll gladly service any and all. Fifty years ago we resented the politics of = Japan and Germany also. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Sy Zabrocki--RPT</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=Piannaman@aol.com href="mailto:Piannaman@aol.com">Piannaman@aol.com</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, January 29, = 2004 9:10 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Chinese = Pianos.....arrrgh!</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=2 = PTSIZE="10">List, <BR><BR>I've been negligent at perusing the contributions to this list = of late, mostly because I've been too busy working.  While I've had = the opportunity to work on many Seilers, Kawais, M and Hs and Steinways, = some of this work has been on cheapo Chinese built pianos.  The = no-name(who WOULD put a name on this thang?) upright unit I worked on yesterday looked = like a piano.  It came apart like a piano.  There the similarity to = a piano ends.  I think I've seen an instrument like this with a Niemeyer = decal on the front. <BR><BR>It sounded miserably whiny, as though the strings = were made of bailing wire.  The key bushings were sloppily installed, the = punchings were made out of this gray fuzz that is already disintegrating despite = the fact that it is a new piano.  The keypins were installed at all = kinds of angles.  Most of the keys were binding.  The balance rail = had swollen causing the jacks to lift all of the hammers a couple of = centimeters off the rail. The let-off ranged from an inch in the bass to blocking = against the string in the middle of the piano.  Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble...PSO would be too kind a way to describe this piano.  It = made me nostalgic for Pearl Rivers, which have become qite acceptable, = especially in comparison to this animal. <BR><BR>And if you ever work on a Dongbei piano--could be Story and Clark, Weber, or any of a number of other = decals--be careful when easing the keys.  The new Weber I serviced last week = had keys that felt like chewing gum when reamed. <BR><BR>Where's my flame = thrower? <BR><BR>Dave Stahl <BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>