<div> Michelle:<font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br> <br> I dearly love these old pianos, and so wish that they were preservable in some way within financial reason and the tolerance both of technicians and the owners of the pianos. Much of the time they're not. <br> </font><br> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This is a perfect opportunity to involve less experienced technicians, associates, those who are just beginning, to take on some of these jobs in order to learn the craft. As well, in some instances, as we have here in Chicago, some of these pianos are marginally enough useful to pass on by donation to those who can't afford a piano. We started <i>A Gift of PIanos</i> about 9 years ago, and now the Chicago chapter of the PTG runs the program. <br> <br> If the pianos to which you refer are indeed simply "dead", then you're faced with the dismal task of being the coroner and making the formal declaration. But many of them still have use. <br> <br> Paul<br> </font></div> <div> <br> </div> <div> <br> </div> -----Original Message-----<br> From: Michelle Smith <michelle@smithpianoservice.com><br> To: 'Pianotech List' <pianotech@ptg.org><br> Sent: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 10:25 pm<br> Subject: Clunker pianos - what do you do?<br> <br> <div id="AOLMsgPart_2_d777db29-01ea-412d-ad09-fe1dcb3eeee8"> <style> @#AOLMsgPart_2_d777db29-01ea-412d-ad09-fe1dcb3eeee8 font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}@#AOLMsgPart_2_d777db29-01ea-412d-ad09-fe1dcb3eeee8 font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}@#AOLMsgPart_2_d777db29-01ea-412d-ad09-fe1dcb3eeee8 font-face {font-family:"Comic Sans MS"; panose-1:3 15 7 2 3 3 2 2 2 4;} #AOLMsgPart_2_d777db29-01ea-412d-ad09-fe1dcb3eeee8 p.MsoNormal,#AOLMsgPart_2_d777db29-01ea-412d-ad09-fe1dcb3eeee8 li.MsoNormal,#AOLMsgPart_2_d777db29-01ea-412d-ad09-fe1dcb3eeee8 div.MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}#AOLMsgPart_2_d777db29-01ea-412d-ad09-fe1dcb3eeee8 a:link,#AOLMsgPart_2_d777db29-01ea-412d-ad09-fe1dcb3eeee8 span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; text-decoration:underline;}#AOLMsgPart_2_d777db29-01ea-412d-ad09-fe1dcb3eeee8 a:visited,#AOLMsgPart_2_d777db29-01ea-412d-ad09-fe1dcb3eeee8 span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; text-decoration:underline;}#AOLMsgPart_2_d777db29-01ea-412d-ad09-fe1dcb3eeee8 span.EmailStyle17 {mso-style-type:personal-compose; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:windowtext;}#AOLMsgPart_2_d777db29-01ea-412d-ad09-fe1dcb3eeee8 .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only;}@#AOLMsgPart_2_d777db29-01ea-412d-ad09-fe1dcb3eeee8 page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}#AOLMsgPart_2_d777db29-01ea-412d-ad09-fe1dcb3eeee8 div.Section1 {page:Section1;}</style> <div class="Section1"> <div class="MsoNormal">Hi all.  I have to admit that I’m pretty tired of old clunker pianos.  Hammers are shot, strings are beginning to break, parts are failing left and right, and the pinblock was done quite a while ago.  The problem is that many people in my area can’t afford anything better and there’s no one else in my county to work on these old pianos.  </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> </div> <div class="MsoNormal">I’m curious how many of you refuse to work on clunkers anymore.  Every time I work on one I tell myself it is my last!  =)</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> </div> <div class="MsoNormal">Best wishes,</div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; color: black;">Michelle Smith</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; color: black;">Smith Piano Service</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; color: black;">Bastrop, Texas</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> </div> </div> </div>  <div id='u8CA68EB00AEFDE6-1248-258A' class='aol_ad_footer'><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">Get the <A title="http://www.mapquest.com/toolbar?NCID=mpqmap00030000000003" href="http://www.mapquest.com/toolbar?NCID=mpqmap00030000000003" target="_blank">MapQuest Toolbar</A>, Maps, Traffic, Directions & More!</FONT> </div>