<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div>Thank you for returning to your normal, affable demeanor, Dale! <br /> While there are plenty of things we have criticized S&S for on this list, over the years, its groundbreaking Artists' Program we must acknowledge as a boon to pianists, piano sales, and music in America as a whole. (And an admirably intelligent marketing strategy.) It only seems a pity to me that it implanted STEINWAY so firmly in the consciousness of hoi poloi,* that few of its constituents will spend ample money to restore anything but. Even when "anything" is an instrument of similar or superior quality.<br /><br />Thumpe<br /><br />*For those who are curious, this is grammatically correct: "the" hoi poloi (as is usually stated) is incorrect, as "hoi" means "the", itself.</div></td></tr></table> <div id="_origMsg_"> <div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif:font-size:10pt"> <br /> <div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"> <font size="2" face="Tahoma"> <hr size="1"> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span> </b> Cy Shuster, RPT <cy@shusterpiano.com>; <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold:">To:</span> </b> pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>; <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold:">Subject:</span> </b> Re: [pianotech] Steinway Artist <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sent:</span> </b> Sun, Oct 14, 2012 10:55:10 PM <br> </font> <br> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="font:inherit;"><div>Was it also a requirement that the artist had to *purchase* a personal S&S piano? (I'm sure exceptions were made)</div><div><br></div><div>--Cy--</div><div><br>Cy Shuster, RPT<div>Registered Piano Technician</div><div><br></div><div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.shusterpiano.com">www.shusterpiano.com</a></div><div><br></div><div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/shusterpiano">www.facebook.com/shusterpiano</a> </div></div><div><br>On Oct 14, 2012, at 9:24 AM, Dale Erwin <<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:erwinspiano@aol.com" target="_blank" href="javascript:return">erwinspiano@aol.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><font color="navy" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"><font size="1"><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">FWIW</font></font> <div><font size="1"><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"> In spite of my </font><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">slightly</font><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"> original sarcastic remarks and lame attempt hoping to produce humor it is worth noting that to fund, develop and promote such a network of pianos thru out the country is expensive no matter who does it. Imagine what type of beaters top flight pianist and their audiences would have been subjected to at different venues around the country without these types of programs. </font></font> <div><font size="1"><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"> Aaaand  credit goes to other companies as  well, Baldwin, Mason and Hamlin, Yamaha, & Kawai. </font></font><br> <br> <div style="color:navy;font-family:'Comic Sans MS', sans-serif;font-size:10pt;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 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 size="1" 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 size="1" color="cornflowerblue" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.Erwinspiano.com">www.Erwinspiano.com</a></font><font size="1"><br> </font><font size="1" color="crimson" 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="color:black;font-family:arial, helvetica;font-size:10pt;">-----Original Message-----<br> From: Euphonious Thumpe <<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:lclgcnp@yahoo.com" target="_blank" href="javascript:return">lclgcnp@yahoo.com</a>><br> To: pianotech <<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" target="_blank" href="javascript:return">pianotech@ptg.org</a>><br> Sent: Sun, Oct 14, 2012 8:10 am<br> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Steinway Artist<br> <br> <div id="AOLMsgPart_1_43a84b2b-881a-462e-95a1-343a8bae31c1"> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="font:inherit;"> <div>The Steinway artists' program, as I believe I remember it described in a 1960's "American Heritage" magazine, was developed in the 19th Century to ensure that visiting artists from Europe, such as Anton Rubenstein, would have in-tune pianos available at all the concerts on their North American tours. (Even in the backwaters and boondocks.) And, yes, being never seen in public performing on another brand was part of the deal. That this very clever marketing program was largely responsible for implanting in the general public's mind that Steinway is THE best piano of all time, I have no doubt.<br> <br> Thumpe</div> </td></tr></tbody></table> <div id="_origMsg_"> <div style="font-family:arial, helvetica,;"> <br> <div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt;"> <font size="2" face="Tahoma"> <hr size="1"> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span> </b> Dale Erwin <<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:erwinspiano@aol.com" target="_blank" href="javascript:return">erwinspiano@aol.com</a>>; <br> <b> <span style="">To:</span> </b> <<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" target="_blank" href="javascript:return">pianotech@ptg.org</a>>; <br> <b> <span style="">Subject:</span> </b> Re: [pianotech] Steinway Artist <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sent:</span> </b> Sat, Oct 13, 2012 9:04:48 PM <br> </font> <br> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="font:inherit;"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="2">Being a willing to swallow the entire marketing </font><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">shtick? </font><br> <br> <div style="color:navy;font-family:'Comic Sans MS', sans-serif;font-size:10pt;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 R.P.T.<br> </font></font></font></b></font><font color="darkgreen"><span style="font-style:italic;"><b><font size="1"><font size="1"><br> </font><font size="1" color="crimson" 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="color:black;font-family:arial, helvetica;font-size:10pt;">-----Original Message-----<br> From: richarducci <<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:richarducci@comcast.net" target="_blank" href="javascript:return">richarducci@comcast.net</a>><br> To: pianotech <<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" target="_blank" href="javascript:return">pianotech@ptg.org</a>><br> Sent: Sat, Oct 13, 2012 12:34 pm<br> Subject: [pianotech] Steinway Artist<br> <br> <div id="AOLMsgPart_0_7ad5e027-e1b4-4424-8059-f5d0a27e6c9b" style="margin:0px;font-family:Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif;font-size:12px;color:#000;background-color:#fff;"> <pre style="font-size:9pt;"><tt>What are the criteria for being one? Rick Ucci <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://Uccipiano.com">Uccipiano.com</a> 609-677-0444 </tt></pre> </div> </div> </font></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </font></div></blockquote></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> </div> </div>