<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 14 (filtered medium)"><style></style></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>Well, that was about $2,300 in today’s dollars and I’m not sure you can buy a piano for that much now. Back then—early 1960s—a minimally decent console ran about $500 to $700 or about $3,800 $5,400 (if memory serves). Not all that much different from today’s market. Except that now they are all coming from Japan, Indonesia and China.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>And technicians <i>did</i> complain about the poor quality and performance of these pianos. But who was listening? Manufacturers (and dealers) were still selling everything they could crank out the doors regardless of quality or performance. America still had a thriving and growing middle class and pianos were still considered a family necessity—you weren’t considered “cultured” unless you had a piano in the living room and it didn’t matter if it was played or not. So who cared how many picky technicians complained? They just didn’t understand anything about “business.” Not real business, anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>ddf <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#632423'>Delwin D Fandrich</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#632423'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#632423'>Piano Design & Fabrication</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#632423'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#632423'>6939 Foothill Court SW, </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#632423'>Olympia, Washington 98512 USA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#632423'>Phone  360.515.0119 — Cell  360.388.6525</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#632423'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#632423'><a href="mailto:del@fandrichpiano.com"><span style='color:blue'>del@fandrichpiano.com </span></a></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#632423'>— </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#632423'><a href="mailto:ddfandrich@gmail.com"><span style='color:blue'>ddfandrich@gmail.com</span></a></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><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>Paul Williams<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, September 27, 2012 1:01 PM<br><b>To:</b> pianotech@ptg.org<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [pianotech] pulley key...<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>Thank God I've only had to deal with a few of these beasts over the years…<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>What's worse: that, a Betsy Ross spinet, a Lester?   All nasty abuse (and demise) of the American piano! Or, the disintegration of great old names who became pianos "made in America by factory workers" or whatever that stupid sticker says.  Why did technicians let this continue back in the day and not speak up??  Did they really expect lots of business from these sad excuses for pianos??  If somebody bought a piano for $300, they certainly didn't consider keeping them up, right? Doesn't matter if the tunings back then were only $15-20.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>Don't take me as snobby here, but since I do very little tuning outside UNL, if somebody calls with a spinet (most any brand, although some Acrosonics I've tuned are sort of tolerable and playable when I'm finished with them) I refer them to another technician….someone in financial need of business mostly.  I won't refer them to a busy tech with enough to do…<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>Is that so wronggggg?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>Paul<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>From: </span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>Delwin D Fandrich <<a href="mailto:del@fandrichpiano.com">del@fandrichpiano.com</a>><br><b>Reply-To: </b>"<a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a>" <<a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a>><br><b>Date: </b>Thursday, September 27, 2012 2:46 PM<br><b>To: </b>"<a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a>" <<a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a>><br><b>Subject: </b>Re: [pianotech] pulley key...<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>No, the idea was that the dealer could run newspaper ads and put up big banners advertising, “New Grand Pianos from $295!” Even back in the 1960s that was a pretty low price and the strategy did bring in few customers. The dealer would then try to upgrade those customers to a real piano but there were always some who insisted on buying what was advertised.</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>ddf</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#632423'>Delwin D Fandrich</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#632423'>Piano Design & Fabrication</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#632423'>6939 Foothill Court SW,</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#632423'>Olympia, Washington 98512 USA</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#632423'>Phone  360.515.0119 — Cell  360.388.6525</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#632423'><a href="mailto:del@fandrichpiano.com">del@fandrichpiano.com </a>— <a href="mailto:ddfandrich@gmail.com">ddfandrich@gmail.com</a></span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:72.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'> <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>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Euphonious Thumpe<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, September 27, 2012 10:51 AM<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [pianotech] pulley key...</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:72.0pt'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=624 style='width:468.0pt;margin-left:72.0pt'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>The "Grand" spinet (by, I believe, the "Grand Piano Company" of Roanoke) is quite possibly the worst piano ever built -- outside of something cobbled together in a garage by a hobbyist. They almost visibly twist while a tuning is attempted to be put into them, and were created, I suspect, so that people of very limited means <br>( and/or education) could say: "I own a Grand Piano!" Despicable!!! While passing through Roanoke some years ago I noticed a burned-out hulk of a building downtown with "GRAND PIANO COMPANY" painted on it, which is why I suspect they were conjured up there. <br><br>Thumpe<o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><div id="_origMsg_"><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:72.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div style='margin-left:36.0pt'><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:center'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'><hr size=1 width="100%" align=center></span></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:72.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>