<font color='navy' size='2' face='Comic Sans MS, sans-serif'><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; ">Lot's of us try not to, Steinway knows why, and they're fighting back dirty.  Take a look:</span><br style="font-family: arial, helvetica; "><br style="font-family: arial, helvetica; "><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" target="_blank" href="http://www.usedsteinwaypiano.com/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica; ">http://www.usedsteinwaypiano.com/</a> <div><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif"><font color="#000080" size="2"><br> </font></font></div> <div><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif"><font color="#000080" size="2">Oh boy Mike... You gotta love a slick marketing promotional...or not. Full of hot gas, & </font><font color="#000080">disingenuous</font><font color="#000080" size="2"> statements abounding with half truths and many untruths.</font><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-size: small; "> Reminds me of some political campaigns I've listened to recently.</span></font> <div><font color="#000080" size="2" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif">   There are several reason for this type of hype and one is, that<u> some </u>Small shop American piano rebuilders are doing a very good job restoring Steinway Pianos and adding to the competition.  My Friends.... I salute you. and Its true enough that some shops are not trying that hard but that's just reality.  Its called the marketplace. Competition. Maybe its those guys the corporation is really taking aim at.... or not</font> <div><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif"><font color="#000080" size="2">  and Since when is price point the indication of the true value of parts. </font><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-size: small; ">Jeez...</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-size: small; ">I thought it was quality and the subsequent performance enhancements that create a value added product. </span></font></div> <div><font color="#000080" size="2" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif">  That Steinway parts are more expensive doesn't mean they are superior or more better.  Perhaps its just  being in New York where the cost of living is high and the unions run the labor market that  makes the parts cost so much.  Surely  t</font><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: small; ">he owner of Samick could take this entire operation to Tennessee (wherever) and make it for 2/3 thds the cost. </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: small; "> Not that I want it to go anywhere but I'm </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: small; ">just</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: small; "> saying.</span></div> <div><font color="#000080" size="2" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif">  The all gen-u-whine parts thing appeals to the <u>uniformed </u>and not reality. There are many fine aftermarket parts that work wonderfully well and often outperform the originals Steinway parts,  in exactly the same way cars and other mechanical devices have access to aftermarket parts. Its common place and makes common sense.</font></div> <div><font color="#000080" size="2" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif">    My Sons North Bennet st. class was on a field trip to Steinway N.Y.  about 5 years ago and one of the big execs there literally told that group that if you are going to rebuild  a Steinway and replace the soundboard that he would rather have the name ground off the plate and the fall board name removed than for it to be called as Steinway. True story.</font></div> <div><font color="#000080" size="2" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif"> The moral of the story can be boiled down to humorous story that my son</font></div> <div><font color="#000080" size="2" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif">Dennis heard while at school:</font></div> <div><font color="#000080" size="2" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif">A man walks into a Mom and pop grocery. He sees two pickle barrels on the counter. One barrel is a dollar the other 2 dollars.</font></div> <div><font color="#000080" size="2" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif"> The man asks the clerk. Why is one barrel of pickles a dollar and the other barrel 2 dollars? The clerk pauses and says. Well....some folks just need a more expensive pickle.!</font></div> <div><font color="#000080" size="2" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif">zzzzactly</font></div> <div><font color="#000080" size="2" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif">Dale</font></div> <div><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="2">   </font></div> <div><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">www.Erwinspiano.com</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: Mike Spalding <mike.spalding1@frontier.com><br> To: pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org><br> Sent: Thu, Oct 18, 2012 5:40 pm<br> Subject: Re: [pianotech] who pays?<br> <br> <div id="AOLMsgPart_1_d210c2e7-d76a-444f-9bed-f7ddf6729516"> <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 10/18/2012 3:44 PM, Dale Erwin wrote:<br> </div> <blockquote type="cite"><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="2"></font><font color="navy" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="2"> <div><br> <div><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="2"> FWIW. This is just another reason I try <u>not </u>to the use original </font><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; ">gen-u-whine </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; ">Steinway parts unless requested. </span></div> <div><br> <div style="color: navy; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; 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" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="1"><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" target="_blank" href="http://www.Erwinspiano.com">www.Erwinspiano.com</a></font><font size="1"><br> </font><font color="crimson" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="1">Phone: 209-577-8397</font><br>   </font></b></span></font><tt><tt><font color="darkgreen"></font></tt></tt><br> </div> </div> </div> </font></blockquote> Lot's of us try not to, Steinway knows why, and they're fighting back dirty.  Take a look:<br> <br> <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" target="_blank" href="http://www.usedsteinwaypiano.com/">http://www.usedsteinwaypiano.com/</a><br> </div>  </div> </div> </div> </div> </font>