<font color='navy' size='2' face='Comic Sans MS, sans-serif'>Nice<font size="2" color="navy" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"> to see the header on this is getting so much mileage. Its important to raise public awareness about both irritating issue, don't cha think<br>
Proceed<br>
Dale<br>
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<div style="clear:both"><font size="1" color="royalblue"><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 style="font-style: italic;"><b><font size="1"><font color="black"><font color="blueviolet"><font color="black"> <font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">Mason & Hamlin</font><font face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">/Steinway/</font><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">U.S pianos</font><font face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"><br>
</font></font></font></font><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">www.Erwinspiano.com</font><br>
<font color="crimson" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">209-577-8397</font><br>
<font color="darkgreen"></font></font></b></span></font><tt><tt><font color="darkgreen"><br>
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<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: David Love <davidlovepianos@comcast.net><br>
To: pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org><br>
Sent: Tue, May 1, 2012 6:23 pm<br>
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Gen-u-whine Steinway parts<br>
<br>
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<pre style="font-size: 9pt;"><tt>Check out the article in the Economist about a month or two ago comparing the
sound of various vintage violins against new ones. A blind listening experiment.
I won't ruin it by telling you which ones came out ahead.
David Love
<a href="http://www.davidlovepianos.com" target="_blank">www.davidlovepianos.com</a>
(sent from bb)
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Williams <<a href="mailto:pwilliams4@unl.edu">pwilliams4@unl.edu</a>>
Sender: <a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a>
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 20:29:31
To: <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a><<a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a>>
Reply-To: <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a>
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Gen-u-whine Steinway parts
As beautiful as a Strad sounds, the strings made in the day are not
available anymore..or are they? Cat gut just can't be around. Certainly,
a bridge must have been replace in 300 years, but Mr Strad didn't do it,
nor could have. A tuning nut, etc, whatever: When is the line drawn?
I once was an actual employee for a piano store and was told to shut my
mouth when we held those huge warehouse sales and all I was to do was tune
and look busy! Believe me, that only lasted a few months! I couldn't
stand hearing the salesman push "oh, this piano is all original and on and
on (looking at a 1930's Stark or something they were trying to push off
for $3,500!!!) Ugh! "But look here at this beautiful new (%* grand you
can get for the same price! No problems with it, one free tuning, and
you're good to go for years!
Paul
On 5/1/12 2:57 PM, "Don Hubbs" <<a href="mailto:donhubbs@mwt.net">donhubbs@mwt.net</a>> wrote:
>You might try comparing yourselves with the craftsmen who set up other
>fine
>stringed instruments. There are better and lesser makes of violins, etc.,
>but no professional or even good amateur would play one right out of the
>box. They are often modified with better strings, bridge adjustments,
>fingerboard adjustments, etc., without which they would often be mediocre
>at
>best.
>
>If you are regularly called on to finesse concert instruments, let your
>customer know that, too.
>
>Salesmen are salesmen. They can sell a way too bright piano as "voiced for
>jazz", while keeping a straight face. You have to sell your craft as the
>finesse that makes all the difference.
>
>Don Hubbs
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Encore Pianos [<a href="mailto:encorepianos@metrocast.net?">mailto:encorepianos@metrocast.net</a>]
>Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 11:56 AM
>To: <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a>
>Subject: Re: [pianotech] Gen-u-whine Steinway parts
>
>Well put, Jim. And Steinway plays on that insecurity to the hilt.
>
>Will
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: <a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a> [<a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org?">mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a>] On
>Behalf
>Of <a href="mailto:jim@grandpianosolutions.com">jim@grandpianosolutions.com</a>
>Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 10:41 AM
>To: pianotech
>Subject: [pianotech] Gen-u-whine Steinway parts
>
>Dale I feel your pain.
>
>However, as a point of constructive discussion, regarding human brains in
>general regarding this problem, I would like to look at this problem from
>a
>different perspective. As a disclaimer, I'm sure you know that I share
>your
>passion for piano rebuilding as the committed pursuit of beautiful piano
>sound. (If it weren't for the possibility of creating beautiful sound, I'd
>probably just be selling life insurance or some other yuck-and-a-half.)
>
>But...let me set up a hypothetical scenario, with me as a piano buyer
>(assuming by some amazing stroke of unlikely-ness, I had some serious
>bucks
>to spend on a real nice piano.)
>
>In this scenario, if had come by enough money to manage a one-time, big
>bucks purchase of a piano, (as in get it right, because I wouldn't be able
>to try again), I could easily see myself majorly conflicted between a
>really
>fine rebuild and a big name-brand piano purchase. Being brutally honest
>with myself, in my mind, given the funds to purchase a big name brand, I
>believe I would be conflicted in choosing a rebuild over a big name-brand
>piano despite that fact that the conflict goes against my very existence
>as
>a life long artisan-craftsperson/musician, and despite the fact that I
>know
>as a technician how lousy these new brand -name pianos sound on the "lot".
>
>Having only one shot at the "right" piano, especially when the acquisition
>of that "right" piano is so central to my experience of music, I know that
>the decision would have a great likelihood of creating some base line of
>disappointment. And, though its irrational, and goes against everything
>that I know about lousy pianos sounding on the big-name piano "lot", the
>"authority" which brand names acquire would tempt me to put my trust in
>the
>brand as something larger and more authoritative than a single guy in his
>shop...therefore more likely of avoiding disappointment.
>
>My reasoning above is convoluted, irrational, and just plain bulls..t.
>However, I also know this line of thought needs to be countered in the
>working of my own mind. I pin the conflict on some sort of evolutionary
>detritus, but there it is, despite the fact that it gnaws at the very
>foundations of who I am as an artisan...but...still...it is there if I am
>honest with myself.
>
>I solved this problem by making my own piano. it removes the money from
>the
>equation, and gives me control over the outcome, as well as tools ton
>overcome shortcomings.
>
>But I cheated.
>
>Customers don't have this control, and are utterly dependent on others for
>the outcome of their quest.
>
>Just some thoughts, as I mull over how one can actually sell a fine
>rebuild,
>regardless of how excellent the rebuild is, when we all are evolutionarily
>still somewhere at the level of a bloody pickerel.
>
>Jim Ialeggio
>
>--
>Jim Ialeggio
><a href="mailto:jim@grandpianosolutions.com">jim@grandpianosolutions.com</a>
>(978) 425-9026
>Shirley, MA
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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