Jude,<br><br>Thanks for the explanation.<br><br>Sounds like larger-scale operations than the "refurbished" old upright I'll be tuning again tomorrow... they didn't even bother with replacing the very brittle bridle straps or filing hammers... not sure what was actually done, if anything. Maybe they wiped a little grime off the keys. Right here in Minnesota USofA. Yup. The audacity. Makes me wonder how rich I could be if I was a conniving jerk. <br><br>Paul Bruesch<br>Stillwater, MN<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 7/16/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">Jude Reveley/Absolute Piano</b> <<a href="mailto:juderev@verizon.net">juderev@verizon.net</a>> wrote: </span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> <div bgcolor="#ffffff"> <div><font face="Arial" size="2">Paul,</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div> <div><font face="Arial" size="2">SAMA and several companies stemming from Poland and Eastern Europe are our COSTCOs of rebuilding. The only difference is that while the COSTCO or wholesaler model works great for selling stuff like juice boxes and diapers in bulk, it yields some very interesting results with piano restoration.</font></div> <div> </div> <div>Jude Reveley, RPT<br>Absolute Piano Restoration, LLC<br>Lowell, Massachusetts<br>(978) 323-4545</div> <blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px;"><span class="q"> <div style="font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">----- Original Message ----- </div> <div style="background: rgb(228, 228, 228) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <b>From:</b> <a title="paul@bruesch.net" href="mailto:paul@bruesch.net" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">paul bruesch</a> </div> <div style="font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"><b>To:</b> <a title="pianotech@ptg.org" href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> Pianotech List</a> </div> <div style="font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, July 15, 2007 7:20 PM </div> <div style="font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"><b>Subject:</b> Re: What's up with these Polish rebuilds at U.S. dealers?</div> <div><br></div></span><div><span class="e" id="q_113cf05203befe12_2">For the benefit of the clueless and uninitiated (e.g. me), could someone please provide a definition for "Polish rebuild" and "Mexican Sama job"??<br><br>Paul Bruesch<br>Stillwater, MN<br><br> <div><span class="gmail_quote">On 7/15/07, <b class="gmail_sendername"><a href="mailto:Erwinspiano@aol.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Erwinspiano@aol.com</a></b> <<a href="mailto:Erwinspiano@aol.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> Erwinspiano@aol.com</a>> wrote:</span> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> <div style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial;"><font color="#000000" face="Arial" size="2"></font> <div> <div><font color="#000000" face="Arial" size="2"><strong><em>  Hi Gene</em></strong></font></div> <div><font color="#000000" face="Arial" size="2"><strong><em>  I've seen many of these.  It's one step up from the Mexican Sama job.  They don't replace boards in Europe routinely.....re crown them sometimes but rarely replace from what I've heard on this list. Shim it yes, many many shims</em></strong></font></div> <div><font color="#000000" face="Arial" size="2"><strong><em>  The thing is...... Dealers are business folks not usually Artisans & some people will... just like trout .......go for shiny sparkly rather than the real deal.</em></strong></font></div> <div><font color="#000000" face="Arial" size="2"><strong><em>  If a dealer gets the price of new M for trash like this then in my book, that's fraudulent, or maybe just an excellent rip off artist with a great line. same thing</em></strong></font></div> <div><font color="#000000" face="Arial" size="2"><strong><em></em></strong></font> </div> <div><font color="#000000" face="Arial" size="2"><strong><em>  In this case the client swallowed hook,line & sinker.  How truly unfortunate.</em></strong></font></div> <div><font color="#000000" face="Arial" size="2"><strong><em>   INMO it would be better for these kinds of dealers to go do something like sell refrigerators or ice to Eskimos.</em></strong></font></div> <div><font color="#000000" face="Arial" size="2"><strong><em>  Moral of story. Don't work for this type of retailer</em></strong></font></div> <div><font color="#000000" face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div> <div><font color="#000000" face="Arial" size="2"><strong><em>  Rant over...done...for now... maybe</em></strong></font></div> <div><font color="#000000" face="Arial" size="2"><strong><em>  Dale</em></strong></font></div><font color="#000000" face="Arial" size="2"><span> <blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid blue; padding-left: 5px; margin-left: 5px;"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" face="Arial" size="2">I had only one experience.<br>1918 SSM<br>First impression was confusing - nice high gloss poly with beautiful <br>matching veneer inner rim, music desk and fallboard - this and the Steinway <br>name threw the first curve. New action to include frame and keys. However, <br>glides were omitted and the sostenuto monkey guide as well.<br>Action was not even close to being balanced at over 70 grams down and less <br>than 19 up.<br>Back action was original and I replaced it. The lift lever tray was badly <br>warped and they had gone to great pains to make the dampers work ok.<br>Sound board appeared new but on closer inspection it had been stripped, <br>bleached and refinished very carefully - it was dead.<br>Many case parts did not fit well because of the extra thick finish.<br>The una chorda stop on the cheek block was missing.<br>All trap levers were new.<br>The action was not regulated very well and a few samples showed over 10.5mm <br>dip - customer did not want me to do any regulation.<br>It was the shiny kind of thing that trout like people go for.<br>The rebuilder did not include a disclaimer.<br><strong><em><font size="3">The customer paid about the same price as for a new SSM.<br></font></em></strong>As I was working for the retailer it was a difficult situation.<br>I will avoid them in the future.<br>Gene Nelson<br></font></blockquote></span></font></div> <div></div> <div><font color="#000000" face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div><br><br><br> <div><font style="font-family: ARIAL,SAN-SERIF; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; color: black; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <hr style="margin-top: 10px;"> Get a sneak peak of the all-new <a title="http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour/?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000982" href="http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour/?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000982" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> AOL.com</a>.</font></div></div></blockquote></div><br></span></div></blockquote></div> </blockquote></div><br>