<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 12 (filtered medium)"><style></style></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1>Except that those folks have been rebuilding Steinways for decades with no apparent reaction from the mother ship.  I think that the current designer showcase stuff that’s become the rage has prompted their more aggressive stance.  <o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>I will say, there is something in the ad that does bother me.  That’s the publication of prices of secondary market parts along with the argument that they are cheaper therefore inferior.  Even putting aside the more expensive therefore better argument for the moment, the Steinway parts list is basically a retail price list as any schmo can call up Steinway and order parts.  The prices listed for the other parts are actually supply house prices and wholesale prices, at least technically.  You have to apply for and get an account to purchase and get those prices.  Taking that into consideration, the retail prices of the competitor parts are easily comparable if not more than the Steinway parts.  In addition, publishing a list of the names of various manufacturers and making an unsubstantiated argument that their parts are inferior strikes me as libelous.  <o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>David Love<o:p></o:p>www.davidlovepianos.com<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Dale Erwin Sent: Friday, October 19, 2012 5:05 PM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Re: [pianotech] who pays?<o:p></o:p></div><o:p> </o:p>David <o:p></o:p><div>  As always a lot of truth to your words.  <o:p></o:p></div><div> <o:p></o:p></div><div> I personally think that their "Stein-was"strategy is largely driven by the heavily vocal design change Steinway cando no right group. Steinway clearly has a market share in rebuilding their pianos to protect--i.e., <o:p></o:p></div><div><o:p> </o:p></div><div>Maybe so but  I also think its also driven by the less scrupulous folks in our industry just as much.<o:p></o:p></div><div>  The PT. Barnum philosophy group that beleives "there is a sucker born every minute". Some folks when they get done with pianos will move on to the next thing they can use to bilk folks with.<o:p></o:p></div><div> I'm not done but more later<o:p></o:p></div><div>Dale<o:p></o:p><div>Dale Erwin R.P.T. Erwin's Piano Restoration Inc. Mason & Hamlin/Steinway/U.S. pianos <a href="http://www.Erwinspiano.com">www.Erwinspiano.com</a> Phone: 209-577-8397 <tt> </tt> <tt>  </tt><o:p></o:p></div><o:p> </o:p><div>-----Original Message----- From: David Love <<a href="mailto:davidlovepianos@comcast.net">davidlovepianos@comcast.net</a>> To: pianotech <<a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a>> Sent: Fri, Oct 19, 2012 2:18 pm Subject: Re: [pianotech] who pays?<o:p></o:p><div id="AOLMsgPart_0_9ea13b9c-945d-4288-9ff5-dd443f7db744"><pre style='background:white'><tt>It's a little out of context.  The question is the criticism of Steinway for<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>marketing themselves the best way they know how using a strategy that they<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>think will be most effective.  I personally think that their "Stein-was"<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>strategy is largely driven by the heavily vocal design change Steinway can<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>do no right group.  Steinway clearly has a market share in rebuilding their<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>pianos to protect--i.e., they make money there.  Their greatest (or you can<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>also argue weakest) asset is that the pianos that come out of their facility<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>will be faithful to the current Steinway designs.  I've seen several factory<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>rebuilds that were fine and some that weren't.  The same can be said of<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>independent rebuilders.  <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>We all pick and choose the kind of promotional angle we think will serve us<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>the best whether it's that we employ design changes seeking improvement or<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>that we remain faithful to the original concept.  That Steinway promotes<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>themselves as the best avenue to rebuild vintage Steinway pianos should come<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>as no surprise.  If they were Nossaman, Erwin or Love pianos, if we are not<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>being disingenuous, we would be making the same claim and probably by<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>somewhat bothered by people making design changes.     <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>David Love<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><a href="http://www.davidlovepianos.com" target="_blank">www.davidlovepianos.com</a><o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>-----Original Message-----<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>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<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>Of Ron Nossaman<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>Sent: Friday, October 19, 2012 11:58 AM<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>To: <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a><o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>Subject: Re: [pianotech] who pays?<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>On 10/19/2012 1:03 PM, David Love wrote:<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>>  Would<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>> you want someone stretching strings over every rebuild/redesign that <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>> you've done and drawing conclusions about the rest of your work based <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>> on that one piano?<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>That was exactly the situation with all of us who had a piano at that<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>showcase. The difference is that most of the people looking at our pianos<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>had only ever seen that one example of our work, where a lot more of us have<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>seen more than one example of the Steinway basement rebuild.<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt>Ron N<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre></div></div></div></div></body></html>