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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Gee!!!!!- </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>You are TOTALLY correct. I missed one step in the
process. Forgive my error- the anger of the entire situation still leaves
me somewhat encumbered. I hope that any pianos you're receiveing are
really good- as I recently read a newspaper article regarding the importation of
Asian labor into the shop. I can't say that I've seen a new M&H,
recently, but I'd be curious to see the transformations within the
company. I am willing to bet that the Asian employees are kick-butt at the
job, and we just may have a truly 'viable' piano "made-in-America". I'm
happy that the insitiution that Falcone started has grown and continues to
manufacture instruments.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Again, thanks for correcting the oversight-- and for
your thought-provoking comments.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Most sincerely</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Marshall Connolly</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=voce88@aol.com href="mailto:voce88@aol.com">voce88@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> Tuesday, March 13, 2007 2:38
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Falcone pianos</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Dear Marshall,</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN contentEditable=false style="DISPLAY: inline-block"></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV>You left out an important step in the Santi Falcone story. Bud Greer and
Lloyd Meyer actually bought out Santi and offered him a postion as a
technician. That was when Santi left the company.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The Burgett Brothers did not get involved until Greer tired of the
investment and let the company go into bankruptcy. It was the Burgett Bros.
who bought the company oput of bankruptcy and have steered it to be the
company that it is today.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I know this because Cunningham Piano was a Falcone dealer AND a Mason
& Hamlin dealer - we still are.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>All the best,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Richard Galassini</DIV>
<DIV>Cunningham Piano Company</DIV>
<DIV>(215) 991-0834</DIV> <BR>-----Original Message-----<BR>From:
falcone1132@tmlp.com<BR>To: pianotech@ptg.org<BR>Sent: Tue, 13 Mar 2007 2:03
AM<BR>Subject: Re: Falcone pianos<BR><BR>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Hello list folks!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Let me try to shed a bit of light about <FONT
face="Old English Text MT" size=4>Falcone</FONT> pianos. Santi Falcone
began building pianos in his small shop in Massachusetts, later moving to
a larger facility which now manufactures <FONT
face="Old English Text MT">Mason & Hamlin</FONT> pianos.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>His first accomplishment (I believe it was a 6'1"
grand?) was completed somewhere between 1984-1985. I was beginning my
Music Ed. degree at University of Lowell at the time, and became acquainted
with his workmanship when he loaned a concert grand to the University-- hoping
to get the pianos noticed, and build the business within the musical
community. When I graduated in 1990, the University had purchased
one of all three models manufactured: (6'1" in Prof. T. Stumpf's teaching
studio, a 7'3" in the recital hall, and a 9-foot concert piano in the main
concert hall). All had one-piece ivory keys, Renner actions, and were
rivals to any Steinway that I've ever performed on, or
serviced). I had the opportunity to perform at the
<FONT face="Old English Text MT" size=4>Falcone</FONT> factory showroom in
1988- along with my piano pedagogy instructor from the University, and a few
other select pianists.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=+0><FONT face=Arial> He (Santi Falcone) managed enough
financial backing to purchase an old shoe factory on Duncan Street in
Haverhill, and continued building very high-quality hand-manufactured pianos
(serial #s 1000- 1200) before a need for finances rendered him unable to
continue without taking the company "public". This is when a disasterous
blow befell the company. In need of financing, Santi Falcone was
"consumed", by 1% (51% ownership) in 1989 and offered the opportunity by
its new owners to remain as a "technician"-- destroying all his dreams of
building instruments that rival Steinway, Fazioli, and the other
greats.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>You may know the name of the people involved in
the " takeover"-- The Burgett brothers--renowned builders of <EM>Piano
Disc. </EM><FONT face="Old English Text MT" size=4>Falcone</FONT> would
never again build the fine pianos that once graced the stages of New England
Conservatory's Jordan Hall, The Claremont Opera House, and several
Universities and institutions of musical learning. I wasn't present at
the signing of paperwork, I am relying on trade/business magazines, as well as
newspapers (which I have retained copies of) naming the Burgetts as the
purchasers of the company. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>The <FONT face="Old English Text MT"
size=4>Falcone</FONT> name was now 'someone else's' property, and the line was
phazed out- with a concentration focused on reviving the <FONT
face="Old English Text MT">Mason & Hamlin</FONT> line- attempting to build
to the original scale designs set forth. Members of the Boston PTG may
remember chapter meetings at the <FONT face="Old English Text MT"
size=4>Falcone</FONT> Showroom near Steinert & Sons-- where the revival of
M&H was first introduced??!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>After having built some marginal grands, the name was
sold (yet again) and now is made in Asia. This is a sad footnote in the
history of a company that had SO much potential to really give Steinway a
serious 'run' for its money. I tuned a 'vertical' falcone (P.S.O.) and was
horrified even more than when I tuned a 5'8" grand which is equally inept in
design and musical abilities. It seems now that the name will remain
only as that associated with asian-made garbage, and hardly remembered for
what Mr. Falcone originally set out to build.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Although I've probably encountered more of these
instruments than most, I readily admit that there were some design
issues. Albeit, I will ALWAYS, and do own one. I still won't
regulate mine (#1132) without the supervision of the former quality control
manager from the company, who became my mentor as a rebuilder-- long
after I bought my piano. After 25 years as a piano tuner tech., tuner,
and rebuilder, I can regulate any piano (Steinways, M&H, Bossen.. etc.. )
but truly value the instrument that I feel blessed to own and want to insure
that it retains the glorious action that convinced me to trade my Steinway 'A'
to get-- amid paying tuition to finish my first degree in Music. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>If you have the opportunity to ever meet a REAL <FONT
face="Old English Text MT" size=4>Falcone, <FONT face=Arial size=3>you'll
immediately notice the difference between the it and the stencils now being
made. It is important to know that the real, original pianos have serial
#'s of 1,200 and lower- yes, if you were reading carefully, there are only 200
REAL ones.</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I gladly welcome anyone within driving distance to
New Bedford, Massachusetts to contact me and come play this instrument.
Incidently, I still own an Steinway, and a 1922 Chickering quarter-grand with
an Ampico (I hope to rebuild soon.... a new acquisition) that I teach
on. I'm not a pianistic snob. I just love my instrument.
Although I love Steinways, I have a special place in my heart for the <FONT
face="Old English Text MT" size=4>Falcone <FONT face=Arial size=3>piano! I
</FONT></FONT>don't let students touch it. I use it only for practice,
performance, and recording purposes. Come one, come all players to enjoy
a REAL </FONT><FONT face="Old English Text MT" size=4>Falcone. <FONT
face=Arial size=3>I'd certainly welcome anyone to my shop, and give other
techs. a chance to see what a REAL <FONT face="Old English Text MT"
size=4>Falcone <FONT face=Arial size=3>is</FONT> <FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><!
FONT face=Arial>all about</FONT>. <FONT face=Arial>It's nearly</FONT>
<FONT face=Arial>20 years old now, and everything about this piano is as solid
as the day that it was delivered.
</FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Respectfully Submitted,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>Marshall A. Connolly, Jr. </DIV>
<DIV>a/k/a/ <A
href="mailto:falcone1132@tmlp.com">falcone1132@tmlp.com</A></DIV>
<DIV>Connolly's Center for Piano Wellness</DIV>
<DIV>496 Nash Road</DIV>
<DIV>New Bedford, MA 02746</DIV>
<DIV>(508) 984-0800</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>To:</STRONG> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A> </DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, March 12, 2007 8:53
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Question about new
pianos</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>The one Falcone I've encountered offered a less-than-optimal
experience from my perspective. Due to numerous unspecified problems,
Schmitt Music (large dealer here in Twin Cities) has quit carrying them in
favor of resurrecting the Cristofori name, mfr'd in China to Schmitt's
specs. <BR><BR>
<DIV><SPAN class=gmail_quote>On 3/12/07, <B class=gmail_sendername>RicB</B>
<<A href="mailto:ricb@pianostemmer.no">ricb@pianostemmer.no</A>>
wrote:</SPAN>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote
style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid">While
I'd agree that a new piano should not have problems of the sort<BR>you
mention, I dont know if I'd agree with the statement that lack
of<BR>experience with a piano brand, or lack of these being well known to
the <BR>public at large is any dependable criteria for judging the quality
of<BR>the instrument.<BR><BR>I have never run into a Falcone
myself. I remember when they were first<BR>brought to my
attention in the early 90's when I was in Seattle for a <BR>couple
years... they were touted as being the piano to replace<BR>Steinway....
and by some folks I respect. Yet, true to form I
register<BR>these kinds of comments and stay open minded both ways...
because when<BR>it comes right down to it, if yas donts knows
yas donts knows.
<BR><BR>Cheers<BR>RicB<BR><BR><BR> My best guess is
that you're right - -if the pins seemed loose
or<BR> jumpy,<BR> then they
were loose and jumpy. There's no excuse for the pins in
a<BR> new piano to<BR> be
this way. In all my years in business - -27 --- I
never<BR> came across a Falcone piano - -there must
be a reason. I guess if<BR> the
brand<BR> were a really good one, it would be
popular and lots of people would <BR> own
them,<BR> like Yamaha, Kawai,
etc.<BR><BR> Jesse
Gitnik<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><!-- end of AOLMsgPart_2_f4e90fcc-6ea2-4114-b06e-7e1fbdb15996 -->
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