<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D'>I think that Del and Ron Overs make an excellent point.  A lot of these old Millers  were built like tanks (Dale’s photo of the rim without the board in is surely evidence of that).   But, as Dale pointed out, they were poorly scaled both in string scaling and board design.  If you rebuild them with original boards (as many have done, including me) the result is going to be limited and disappointing.  I’ve seen a number of Millers with new boards in them where the rebuilder essentially duplicated what the factory did 100 years ago.  Better, but still retaining the worst aspects of poor design.  <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D'>In this case, it could be argued that putting a new board in one of these old Millers without redesigning the board, stringing scale, and as much else as possible would be of questionable value.  You are still spending the same amount of money (a lot) as you would if doing a quality piano such as a Steinway or Mason & Hamlin and giving the customer what you know up front from experience will be  a limited result. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D'>Rebuilders like Del, Dale, Terry, and Rons Nossaman and Overs have a wealth of accumulated experience doing this sort of redesign work.  As such, they can approach a prospective client and argue confidently that redesigning the family no-name grand offers the best value in restoration when certain fundamentals are good and they know from experience that they can get a good result if proper design and quality workmanship are applied.  The customer is going to have a high quality musical instrument when the piano is done.  And, as Del points out, if the finished piano knocks your socks off, then you have a far more obvious and undeniable accomplishment in the ears of your peers, as well as your own.  <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D'>For the same reasons, pianos like this offer a good place to cut your teeth on this kind of redesign work.  These kinds of pianos are around, and can be had for little to no money.  They offer a place where you can experiment and have the opportunity to fail (and learn) with far less consequence than with a customer’s piano.   Better yet;  enlist the expertise of  one of these talented pianomen,  work with them to rebuild a really improved piano, and expand your own knowledge base exponentially in the process.  How could that be a bad thing? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D'>How good can it be?  What are the limits?  This is a far more interesting  question to me on a piano like Dale’s Henry F. Miller than its pedigreed brethren.    <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D'>Will Truitt<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'> <p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>erwinspiano@aol.com<br> <b>Sent:</b> Monday, June 02, 2008 10:45 PM<br> <b>To:</b> pianotech@ptg.org<br> <b>Subject:</b> Re: Rebuilding Henry<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br> <br> <br>   Hi Will T, Del & Ron O.<br>   I've got the flu or I would have posted similarly to Dels remarks. A good case, A good Plate....the rest is solid piano designing....Thanks Del...Took the words out of my mouth.<br> <br>    WIll More later about that. I always like to reserve final judgement till the piano is highly detailed & voiced. I will report back on it. <br>    All my colleagues are very fussy Tonal -philes......RIght?<br>     Dale Erwin<o:p></o:p></p> <div id="AOLMsgPart_2_42078731-8932-4126-9a64-107c2a38a5c0"> <div> <p class=MsoNormal>Del and all,<o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal>I totally concur with Del's post. You can rebuild an S&S D and do remarkable things with it, but the performance characteristics will always be credited to the original manufacturer, in spite of numerous enhancement which might have been undertaken.<o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal>The world of reputations and the age of spin doctors is so full of smoke and mirrors.<o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal>Good work Dale, BTW.<o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal>Ron O.<o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> </div> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>In my experience it is possible to make a silk purse out of most anything. In the roughly three decades I've been doing this type of work I've encountered only a very few pianos that were really unworkable. If the plate is more-or-less conventional and the rim is decently built you have the basis for a good piano. The basic principles are the same for all pianos -- regardless of original manufacture.</span><o:p></o:p></p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>Until you get known for doing this type of work it is useful to have an example of your work around for people to look at, play and listen to. Don't bother with Steinway, M&H, etc. No matter that you've been able to make it sound better than its makers ever dreamed possible you'll be stuck with the fact that it is a "top name" piano and it's supposed to sound good. Find yourself one of those old Henry's or a Kimball or something and go to it. Everyone knows these pianos are supposed to sound poorly so when one ends up sounding better than anything else around it has to be a credit to your work and the redesign. When it's finished start having recitals on the thing. Invite folks in to play it who aren't in the market for anything. Do whatever -- just get the word out there.</span><o:p></o:p></p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>Eventually you can consider selling the thing. But only after the word has gotten around and folks are bringing you more work than you can handle.</span><o:p></o:p></p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>Del</span><o:p></o:p></p> </blockquote> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> </div> <pre>-- <o:p></o:p></pre> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:blue'>OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY</span></b><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='color:black'>   </span><span style='color:blue'>Grand Piano Manufacturers</span></i><span style='color:black'><br> _______________________</span><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:7.5pt;color:black'><br> </span><span style='color:black'>Web <a href="http://overspianos.com.au/" target="_blank">http://overspianos.com.au</a></span><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><a href="mailto:ron@overspianos.com.au?">mailto:ron@overspianos.com.au</a><br> _______________________</span><o:p></o:p></p> </div> </div> <div id=u8CA93434EC1B1F2-140-307C> <div style='margin-top:7.5pt'> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center> </span></div> </div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:7.5pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Stay informed, get connected and more </span><o:p></o:p></p> </div> </div> </body> </html>