<!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 6.00.2900.2769" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Exactly William. My original post recounted = several times I have resuscitated pianos that arguably should have been allow to die. = I just did a elbow replacement and 200-cent-pitch-raise and tuning on a 1955 = Gulbransen spinet today. After I was done she had a crappy little piano that = played and was more-or-less in-tune. Her dad bought the piano new for her when = she was 18 years old. I charged $475. For $475 she could have replaced that = piano with a 20-year-old console that would have sounded and played = significantly better than her piano. For under $2K she could have replaced that piano = with a used entry-level professional-grade very-good-condition piano (like = a Yamaha P-22 studio). I explained these options to her and she elected to = resuscitate the spinet. I did the work with a smile on my face = (especially when she handed me the check!), she was thrilled that her little buddy was = breathing again, and I'm not kidding - I almost gave this grandma a big hug when I = left because we had such nice chats and she was such a sweetie (didn't - just = thought it wasn't right).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Anyway, fix crappy pianos? Sure! = Cha-ching!!! But I think we would be remiss if we didn't educate the piano owner of = the benefit/cost aspect of their decision. That's all.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Although I have run across a few pianos that I = would not touch. Not because I thought I was above them, but rather because I knew = that any band-aids I applied to them would still not result in a functional = piano. Ya gotta draw the line somewhere.....</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>----- Original Message ----- = </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>> William, who just outguessed the = next person in line (me),<BR>> <BR>> Or perhaps more appropriately, who did = not read what I wrote very well.<BR>> <BR>> Um, yes.  This is = precisely what I was referring to when I wrote that, "All<BR>> I'm saying is give them = all the options clearly, and if they still want to<BR>> pay big bucks for a = mediocre instrument, I'm happy to oblige."<BR>> <BR>> I repeat, I feel = strongly that we should give the the customer all the<BR>> information = available, educate them on the work and the results, and in the<BR>> end if they = choose to rebuild a wurlitzer spinet, great.<BR>> <BR>> And I should = clarify that I mean musical interests when I refer to a clients<BR>> = interests.  None of us have any way to judge all the variables that enter<BR>> into = the decision to invest in a piano POS or not.<BR>> <BR>> = Respectfully,<BR>> William R. Monroe<BR>> <BR>> ----- Original Message ----- = <BR>>> When I was teaching at the Piano Hospital we had a customer want to = have<BR>> her<BR>>> Wurlitzer spinet: restrung, refinished and = rebuilt.   We wrote on the<BR>>> receipt, "work exceeds the value of the piano."   This was a keepsake and<BR>>> our opinion = didn't matter.   What mattered is that her mother had given<BR>> her<BR>>> that piano when she was a child and she wanted it saved.<BR>>><BR>>> William, who doesn't out guess the next = person in line.<BR>>><BR>>> PIANO BOUTIQUE<BR>>> William Benjamin<BR>>><BR>>> -----Original Message-----<BR>>> = I agree with all your sentiments.  However, I still cannot get past = the<BR>>> results of the labor.  What do you do when a client wants to spend $1500<BR>> to<BR>>> get their piano back in shape, and the = results will be a crappy piano?  Do<BR>>> you educate them on the = possiblity of a newer instrument - one that has<BR>> the<BR>>> potential, or = is, a much more musical, satisfying instrument to play?<BR>> That<BR>>> is = the question for me.  I recently had a client spend $800 to refurbish a<BR>>> sentimental old upright.  When it was done, it was = hardly mediocre.  I<BR>>> clearly explained what she would have when = the work was done - not much of<BR>> a<BR>>> piano.  = Sentimentality won out.  I have no problem with that, but I do<BR>> = think<BR>>> that if the client is really better served by an upgrade, we should be<BR>>> keeping them informed on both sides of the issue, rather = than just selling<BR>>> work.<BR>>><BR>>> More than once I = have given up good money for repair jobs because the<BR>>> clients = interests really were not best served by that approach.  All I'm<BR>>> = saying is give them all the options clearly, and if they still want to = pay<BR>>> big bucks for a mediocre instrument, I'm happy to oblige.<BR>>><BR>>> Respectfully,<BR>>> William R. Monroe<BR>>><BR>>> ----- Original Message ----- <BR>>> = > Gads, I can't believe this list is that biased.<BR>>> = ><BR>>> > Sure most of the pianos I service are most likely candidates for the<BR>>> > landfill - BUT - if the customer is willing to pay = my normal rate (which<BR>>> > is what I go by) then I'll do the = work. Besides most of them also have<BR>>> > sentimental value or = they just want a piano to plunk around on.<BR>>> ><BR>>> > There = are a lot of churches in my area that have spinets (for choir<BR>>> > = practice, etc) even for church performances, and, yes, they even have,<BR>>> > as you the list term POS's Acrosonic = pianos.<BR>>> ><BR>>> > Not everyone can afford - or - even want grand pianos.<BR>>> ><BR>>> > I had a customer once, a = church, that had several spinets because they<BR>>> > were easy to move = around. The church happened to be a gospel church and<BR>>> > kept breaking = strings on the pianos - did I care - NO - because they<BR>>> > needed = them fixed and they paid me.<BR>>> ><BR>>> > Bottom line, = unless the pianos are darn near falling apart and the<BR>>> > customer = is willing to pay me my normal rate - I'll fix them - and<BR>>> > = gladly collect my - well earned - money.<BR>>> ><BR><FONT = color=#ff0000 size=7><STRONG><EM><U>SNIP</U></EM></STRONG></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>>> ><BR>>> > Duaine Hechler<BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>