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<DIV><FONT size=2>Steinway stands today as very impressive =
piano.
Their product is a monument of how far ahead they once were. =
I would
take the position however that Steinway is <U>capable</U> of doing much
better. Calling themselves "the worlds best piano" is a =
considerable
stretch given the other options on the market today. I =
see no
reason why Steinway can not preserve the basic elements of
their current product and advance as well. By all =
means
they can continue to use the same stringing scale, the same action =
geometry, and
the same soundboard design as they do today, that is a complement. =
The
product would become vastly more up to date however if the action =
design
was overhauled with aluminum rails and ABS components as their =
competitors
did years ago. They can put the sostanuto inside the piano where =
it
belongs. They can dramatically improve the visual aesthetics =
of the
plate, introduce models polyester finishes, significantly upgrade the =
brass
hardware, give the case a much bolder and proud =
look, even upgrade the
fall board decal. Physical aesthetic changes alone would go a =
long
way. The instrument would still sound and perform =
as before
making the long-time fans very happy. Meanwhile the sales people =
on the
showroom floor will actually have something new to say while the buyer
considers their competitors products. </FONT><FONT
size=2>Steinway produces a fine piano but it can be far =
better. They
owe it to themselves to bring the product up to the next level... just =
like
their founders did.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Rob Goodale, RPT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Las Vegas, NV</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">... I have to wonder just what =
Steinway could
possibly do to please some of these folks. Some just plain want to =
bash the
big guy on the block, some would like to Steinway build instruments
differently, and some just plain have interests that put them in a =
competitive
position to Steinway. And of course... mixed in with all this is some
constructive pressure to just plain improve their basic quality. =
</DIV>
<P>But in the end... I wonder what is eventually going to come out of =
it all.
I suppose time will tell. And lets hope it doesnt go the way of =
Baldwin... and
those that went before.
<P>RicB </P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>