<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black"> <div id="AOLMsgPart_1_652db810-6400-417a-bc7f-180b023196a9"> Hi Guys    Well it finally happened, a prospective client who was scheduled to see a very nice Steinway B we have for sale and declined  to even come see it because she spoke with the dealer and learned how non ge-u-whine parts degrades the piano. Its not s a Steinway anymore! This B didn't have the Gen-u-whine Steinway hammers on it. But it had Isaac hammers on it made with the then, genuine American felt co. felt that Steinway N.Y. was using at the time. These hammers far more user friendly and creating an authentic vintage sound with out the usual voicing gymnastics(large amounts of lac.) we encounter with ge-u-whine Stwy hammers     This Isaac hammer with this felt are some of the best hammers I ever worked with /heard. The piano sounds fantastic(of course, what else would I say?) and has a thoroughly custom balanced  action /geometry.  Has a pristine Calif. preserved genuine Stwy soundboard, No cracks lots of crown and bearing. But, instead of simply coming to see this  beautiful instrument the client drank the dealer cool aide, swallowed the  marketing hype, hook line and sinker.     It seems that with all the information & disinformation floating around the electronic circles that folks trying to buy rebuilt,vintage Steinways contract a kind of an analysis paralysis when it come to believing and seeing whats right under the client fingers and the sound that is in their ears.    In all my years I have not once had a pianist sit down to one of our restorations, play it, love it, and then ask what kind of parts are in it. How ridiculous! They judged it on the merits, on the overall experience. Did it rock their musical world or not? That is what should and does historically sell high quality pianos of any make.   Its what goes into the piano in terms of time, effort, passion and talent that determine the outcome of a custom restoration no matter what parts are used or who installed the soundboard.   We must encourage clients to judge a piano on its merits, not some slick disingenuous Steinway factory  marketing B.S. disseminated by dealers who have no clue what makes for a quality restoration.     My son while at north Bennet st. heard a spiel by one of the Stwy management who shall remain nameless say,"that if you are going to replace a soundboard or use non factory parts that we should take the name off the plate and fallboard and install out own names there". Seriously!...simply delusional !     If we judged the relatively new B at our local Gallo arts center (with all genuine Stwy Parts) one can only conclude from it lack of tonal capacity and irritating sound that the soundboard is a failure. Come to find out its not just me,... what a relief,.... the local teachers  dislike the piano as well,....and yet it was CHOSEN......AT THE FACTORY. So now we have the emperors new clothes living in our beloved arts center to irritate an entire generation of folks.   Frankly the all Steinway parts  mantra touted by the Company politics is, and should be, insulting to us all. There are many fine parts being made today which work real really well in Steinways & Mason & Hamlin etc. Many fine makes of hammers. And.... I know many of you, and many of your shops, many small shops doing  incredible soundboard & action work that produces performance levels most pianist have NEVER experienced from any factory piano.    Continue to tell the truth, defend your work and let it speak for itself, no matter what parts are used. End of rant but simply had enough   Dale Erwin RPT- Mason & Hamlin/Steinway/U.S pianos Pre-hung Ronsen hammer sets/Abel parts Sitka Soundboards & Supplies WWW.Erwinspiano.com 209-577-8397 <tt><tt> </tt></tt>    <div style="clear:both"><tt><tt>    </tt></tt> </div> </div>  </div>