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<DIV>Excellent !!,,,, Don't dump, thump.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>On the other hand,, NY Times gave an exposure to the subject and maybe it
started a dialogue or at least a sentiment in the public... In the last few
days, I've experienced a mini surge. 2 people who had put me off
this summer got back to me, having changed their minds and booked tunings.
NY Times article ? maybe.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>T, Ayers</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 8/3/2012 9:23:25 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
lclgcnp@yahoo.com writes:</DIV>
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<DIV>Dear List,<BR>There are many fine writers in the PTG, and I'm not
even a member ( but only because I can't afford it) so I'm not
suggesting that this task fall to me. But I believe that it would be a
wise investment for the PTG to take out a full page ad in the "TIMES",
in response to that recent, depressing (IMHO) article about trashing
pianos. And in this regard, I am suggesting something on the order
of:<BR><BR>PLEASE DON'T DUMP THAT PIANO!<BR><BR>Dear Lovers of Music and
Antiques,<BR>A recent TIMES article described the current phenomenon of
countless, older, American pianos being tossed into the trash, merely
because inexpensive, imported new replacements are available. But before
you, or anyone you know, send that heirloom to be crushed in some
ignominious landfill, please consider the following:<BR>America was once
a "piano-centric" culture. After buying a home, the next major
investment most families made was in the "heart" of it: their piano!
Around which members and friends would gather for "sing alongs", <BR>and
individuals spend hours, alone, in reveries of pleasure. A great portion
of Western musical development, <BR>in fact, was built around this
instrument and its unique capability to provide players with the
opportunity to explore melody, harmony, rhythm and dynamics, all by
themselves! It is for this reason that the piano was the chosen
instrument of countless composers in the Sacred, Classical, and Popular
veins; including those who gave us the "Great American Songbook", for
which American culture remains, to this day, greatly admired!<BR>Sadly,
due to the advent of radio and television, many fine instruments sat
neglected for decades as their owners and children found other
diversions. And today, when those who enjoyed them in their glory have
long passed on, these once-sonorous beauties are producing a mere
fraction of the fine tone they are capable of, <BR>and few people remain
who are aware of this. But is that ample cause to simply discard them?
<BR>At the peak of the piano's popularity, literally hundreds of
factories arose in the U.S. to fill demand; most of them staffed by the
finest of workers, dedicated to their craft, in an era when "planned
obsolescence" was unheard of! As competition was intense, so was the
effort to build to the highest standards, to create the finest possible
"touch and tone". (And the cases were also often magnificent!) The
finest woods were used, often from "old growth trees" that no longer
exist, and components even signed by workers in the instruments' deepest
regions, where no one might see for decades, in a beautiful script! It
is reasonable to state that many such instruments, if produced today,
would be sold, new, in the $20,000 to $50,000 range. <BR>It is sadly a
fact that some, due to severe neglect ( such as years beside an open
window or radiator, or due to invasion by rodents, etc.) are no longer
the most viable candidates for restoration. But many others are,<BR>and
are often discarded merely due to some misconception ( such as that a
crack in the soundboard "ruins" a piano) or lack of awareness regarding
the highly developed art of piano restoration today, and the
availability of competent personel ready to perform
it.......<BR><BR>After this, the PTG could provide links to info on its
website, including how to recognize a quailty instrument perhaps worth
fixing, contact information for technicians, and etc.. <BR><BR>I have to
go do something now, so can't write more presently. But hope the above
provides some ideas for how such might look. "When life gives you
lemons, make lemonade!" So that article in the "TIMES" could be seen as
a "Golden Opportunity" to bring attention to the restoration trade, with
a full-page ad that, at all other times, would seem awkward, desperate,
and out-of-place.<BR><BR>Thumpe</DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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<B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN> </B>Euphonious Thumpe
<lclgcnp@yahoo.com>; <BR><B><SPAN>To:</SPAN>
</B><pianotech@ptg.org>; <BR><B><SPAN>Subject:</SPAN> </B>Re:
[pianotech] Rebuilding criteria (yeah, I changed the subject.<G>) <BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN> </B>Fri, Aug 3, 2012 9:22:02 AM
<BR></FONT><BR>
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<DIV>I don't get why you guys can't understand this! "Refurbished"
simply means that it has been furbished
AGAIN!<BR><BR>(Sheesh!)<BR><BR>Thumpe</DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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<B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN> </B>erwinspiano
<erwinspiano@aol.com>; <BR><B><SPAN>To:</SPAN>
</B><pianotech@ptg.org>; <BR><B><SPAN>Subject:</SPAN> </B>Re:
[pianotech] Rebuilding criteria (yeah, I changed the subject. )
<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN> </B>Fri, Aug 3, 2012
2:43:31 AM <BR></FONT><BR>
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<TD vAlign=top>Yeah Terry
<DIV>Now were making some progress. I think I,ll print
that. </DIV>
<DIV>Dale<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 100%">Sent
from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1</SPAN> </DIV><BR>Terry Farrell
<mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:<BR>In my mind, refurbish =
recondition. Also, I think it is more informative to not
necessarily state what is done to what parts to qualify for a
refurbish/rebuild/remanufacture, but rather state what the outcome
goal is and the overall approach. For example:
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Repair: Goal is to make the thing that is broken work
properly.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Refurbish: Goal is to take what you've got and make the
piano work as well as it reasonably can with minimal if any parts
replacement (maybe some felt, etc.).</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Rebuild: Goal is to approach making the piano somewhere
between nearly new and very good performing. Non-wearing parts
(i.e. parts that usually are in serviceable condition 100 years
after manufacture) are refinished/repaired (plate, case, keybed,
keyframe, action rails), ALL parts that commonly wear are
inspected and either reconditioned/refurbished, repaired, rebuilt
or replaced (i.e. soundboard, bridges, action parts, etc.) to the
point where they can function similar to new.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Remanufacture: Goal is a new piano that looks and performs at
least as good as new if not better. Non-wearing parts (i.e. parts
that usually are in serviceable condition 100 years after
manufacture) are refinished/repaired and may be modified (plate,
case, keybed, keyframe, action rails), ALL parts that commonly
wear are replaced with new or better and may be modified (i.e.
soundboard, bridges, action parts, etc.).</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>How does that sound?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>It's still a bit nebulous/grey, but I like it!</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Terry Farrell</DIV>
<DIV><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>On Aug 1, 2012, at 10:49 PM, Dale Erwin wrote:</DIV><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><FONT color=navy size=2
face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">Can ya give one for<B><U>
refurbish. </U></B>
<DIV> Nowthis is my personal nebulous favorite. YA
know? It was refurbished? Now this can mean just about anything
to anyone.</DIV>
<DIV>Thanks Bill<BR><BR>
<DIV style="CLEAR: both"><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 R.P.T.<BR><FONT
color=green>Erwin's Piano Restoration
Inc.</FONT><BR></FONT></FONT></FONT></B></FONT><FONT
color=darkgreen><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><B><FONT
size=1><FONT color=black size=1><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=cornflowerblue size=1 face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"><A
title=http://www.erwinspiano.com/
href="http://www.erwinspiano.com/" rel=nofollow
target=_blank>www.Erwinspiano.com</A></FONT><FONT
size=1><BR></FONT><FONT color=crimson size=1
face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">Phone:
209-577-8397</FONT><BR><FONT
color=darkgreen></FONT></FONT></B></SPAN></FONT><TT><TT><FONT
color=darkgreen><BR> </FONT><BR> <FONT
size=2></FONT></TT></TT><BR><BR></DIV><BR><BR>
<DIV
style="FONT-FAMILY: arial, helvetica; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">-----Original
Message-----<BR>From: William Monroe <<A
rel=nofollow>bill@a440piano.net</A>><BR>To: pianotech <<A
rel=nofollow>pianotech@ptg.org</A>><BR>Sent: Wed, Aug 1, 2012
7:43 pm<BR>Subject: Re: [pianotech] Rebuilding criteria (yeah, I
changed the subject.<G>)<BR><BR>
<DIV id=AOLMsgPart_1_af3d4526-fbc4-43dc-ae6d-6b8dad3831a1>I
think the problem with defining these terms is that they are so
variable from piano to piano - it just depends upon what the
piano needs. For example, I use the following definitions
(which I believer are from the Piano Book):
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 13px"
align=left><STRONG>Repair</STRONG>: Fixing isolated or
individual problems that a piano may have - e.g. a broken hammer
shank, a non-functioning key.</DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 13px"
align=left><STRONG>Restoring/Reconditioning</STRONG>: Improving
the overall quality of a piano by cleaning, lubricating,
resurfacing, or replacing worn felts or leathers, but not
replacing parts, per se.</DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 13px"
align=left><STRONG>Rebuilding</STRONG>: Improving the overall
quality of a piano including new parts. Rebuilding may or may
not involve refinishing the case.</DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 13px"
align=left><STRONG>Remanufacturing</STRONG>: Improving the
overall quality of a piano, including new parts, soundboard,
refinishing the case, and possibly making design changes.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>You'll note, for example, the lack of reference to
soundboard replacement in the rebuilding definition. I
don't think a soundboard has to be replaced for a piano to be
considered fully (totally, completely, whateverly) rebuilt -
others may disagree. However, in some cases, the
soundboard absolutely has to be replaced in order to consider an
instrument rebuilt. It just depends. So I prefer to
define these terms by virtue of the general process, the
approach, rather than a specific list of items that must be
included in order to consider the piano "rebuilt" (or
remanufactured, or restored).<BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>My 2 cents,</DIV>
<DIV>William R. Monroe</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>On Wed, Aug 1, 2012 at 9:13 PM, Encore
Pianos <SPAN dir=ltr><<A
rel=nofollow>encorepianos@metrocast.net</A>></SPAN>
wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; PADDING-LEFT: 1ex"
class=gmail_quote>That was my attempt at humor. I do
think those terms should be standardized<BR>as to what those
terms would entail. We can't help what our customers
end<BR>up thinking.<BR><BR>Will<BR>
<DIV class=HOEnZb>
<DIV class=h5><BR><BR>-----Original Message-----<BR>From: <A
rel=nofollow>pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</A> [mailto:<A
rel=nofollow>pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</A>] On Behalf<BR>Of
Joseph Garrett<BR>Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2012 8:49
PM<BR>To: pianotech<BR>Subject: [pianotech] Rebuilding
criteria (yeah, I changed the subject.<G>)<BR><BR>Will
Truitt said:<BR>"I know what a REAL REBUILD entails, but I'm
not telling, and you can't pry<BR>it out of me......
:-)"<BR><BR>Will<BR>Dagnabit! Thar it is! The same
stuff.....nobody's talkin'!<G> This is an<BR>age-old
problem. Is there a possibility that,...maybe...WE could
do<BR>something about that?<BR>Regards,<BR>Joe<BR><BR><BR>Joe
Garrett, R.P.T.<BR>Captain of the Tool Police<BR>Squares R
I<BR><BR><BR><BR></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV></DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV></DIV></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>