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<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt">Dale - at first when reading
your post, I thought you were talking about the piano manufacturer Steinway
& Sons in New York. But after reading the entire post, I see you must be
talking about a different manufacturer. I didn't know there were two piano
manufacturers named Steinway.<BR><BR>I say this because as we all know, Steinway
of NY has been installing Kelly Plates and Kluge keys for more than the past 100
years (actually, not sure of the time span on the keys....) - that's right,
Kelly Plate of Springfield, Ohio.<BR><BR>So, tell me more about this "other"
Steinway manufacturer.......
;-)<BR><BR>-------------------------------------------<BR>Terry
Farrell<BR>Farrell Piano Service, Inc.<BR>Brandon, Florida,
USA<BR><BR>-------------------------------------------<BR><BR>Dale Erwin
wrote:</FONT></FONT><BR><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-FAMILY: "><FONT
color=navy size=2 face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"><FONT color=navy size=2
face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"><BR>Hi Guys<BR>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! <BR>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<BR>This Isaac hammer
with this felt are some of the best hammers I ever worked with /heard. The piano
sounds fantastic</FONT><FONT color=navy size=2
face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">(of course, what else would I say?)
</FONT><BR><FONT color=navy size=2 face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">and has a
thoroughly custom balanced action /geometry. Has a pristine Calif. preserved
genuine Stwy soundboard, No cracks lots of crown and bearing. <BR>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.<BR>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. <BR>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.
<BR>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. <BR>We must encourage clients to judge a piano
on its merits,<U> not some slick disingenuous Steinway factory marketing B.S.
disseminated by dealers who have no clue what makes for a quality restoration.
<BR></U>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".<FONT color=crimson>
Seriously!...simply delusional </FONT>!<U><BR></U>If we judged the relatively
new B at our local<U> Gallo arts center</U> (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.<BR><U><BR></U>Frankly the all
Steinway parts mantra touted by the Company politics is, and should be,
<U>insulting</U> to us all.<BR>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. <BR>Continue to tell
the truth, defend your work and let it speak for itself, no matter what parts
are used.<BR>End of rant but simply had enough<BR><BR><U></U></FONT></FONT><FONT
color=navy size=2 face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"><FONT color=navy size=2
face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"><FONT color=navy size=2
face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"><FONT color=royalblue size=1><B><FONT
face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, Serif"><FONT color=black><FONT
color=mediumblue face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">Dale Erwin
RPT-</FONT><BR></FONT></FONT></B></FONT><FONT color=darkgreen><SPAN><B><FONT
size=1><EM><FONT color=black><FONT color=blueviolet><FONT color=black><FONT
color=black>Mason & Hamlin</FONT>/Steinway/<FONT color=black>U.S
pianos</FONT><BR></FONT><FONT color=mediumblue>Pre-hung Ronsen hammer sets/Abel
parts</FONT></FONT><BR></FONT>Sitka Soundboards & Supplies<BR><FONT
color=black><A
href="http://WWW.Erwinspiano.com/">WWW.Erwinspiano.com</A></FONT><BR><FONT
color=crimson>209-577-8397</FONT></EM><BR></DIV></FONT></B></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>