<div> <div id="AOLMsgPart_1_e827794e-ea89-4532-832b-dff7dcc5eec2"> <pre style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', sans-serif; "><tt>With some working design changes and uniform production and assembly jigging and procedures, there's no reason other than their attitude that Steinway couldn't make a DEPENDABLY first rate piano. I've said the same of Baldwin. Ron N</tt></pre> <div> <div id="AOLMsgPart_1_ec0bad6d-0643-4f00-8160-547b88b40ec5"> <pre style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; "><tt> Bingo!!!</tt></pre><pre style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; "><tt> Yes, Ron but then many of us would not have made the incredible amounts of money enhancing the </tt><tt>better </tt><tt>attributes ( repairing the design flaws) of the piano, </tt>which make the piano so unique. (inconsistent). So I hope they don't discover jigs and fixtures. Cynicism implied</pre><pre style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; "> They have provided us with a very special opportunity to develop our own research and design capabilities & in all sincerity...I am grateful for this.  I openly acknowledge that I trade on their name. I get my best basic raw materials from them. I can't make a rim and a plate & I don't want to. Its kind of the same relationship one has with a not so friendly step parent. You dislike their behavior toward you and you dislike them but, they feed you anyway. Ok I know some will take issue with this but hey its an analogy. </pre><pre style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; "> On the other hand, under the reality of true confessions.... I am in awe of the longevity , history and success of the Steinway dynasty. That one company dominates and drives the entire industry is a two edged sword, both good and bad. I hear some teeth grinding out there. </pre><pre style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; "> SO, I'm a poor conflicted Stepchild. Its my story & I am sticking to it.</pre><pre style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; ">They are also not the only company with issues. SO thats not news. Thats life.</pre><pre style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; "> The fact that each N.Y Steinway can be so different is, or can be, desirable, especially for our shop who makes a living beefing up and enhancing the basic "Steinway sound " the design offers and repairing the myriad of action ratio issues that have come along thru  subsequent iterations and generations of production. I like the overall piano. I mean that;... even with all its perceived warts and flaws & thats just one mans opinion. But, I like it better when the warts and flaws are minimized,or removed(as I do on any piano) and basic tone production/voice is enhanced with the intentional design efforts that my ears like. </pre><pre style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; ">Now to be honest Steinway corp or Baldwin, Mason, whomever etc aren't the only ones that have been on a learning curve. They've had the failures of teflon bushings and verdigris, compression ridges and Soundboards that were DOA.  & FWIW I am working over a 1904 A-2. It has original non vertigris action parts. The original set of Weickert felt hammers is worn out and the tone is still decent. The amazing thing is that all the center pins are firm and appropriately tight. So they once were able to do this well.</pre><pre style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; "> So in fairness....on the way thru my own learning curve I've made blunders too and as I was able to, I'd go back and undo some of those things done in ignorance to previous rebuilds. For example....I have taken off many sets of hammers from a variety of makers when unhappy with the results and installed ones that were a better choice. I've scraped one of my own newly installed 9 ft soundboard I didn't like the sound off (That was expensive) I've Changed direction and opinions on many things in the attempt to develop and execute protocols to produce a more predictable outcome.  </pre><pre style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; "> So all that to say that though I express some cynicism at times like many of you,.... and though I resent the unfriendly Marketing attitude towards the technical community at large. They can choose to do that to insure their market share. And I can choose what marketing verbiage I wish as well. </pre><pre> So in Fairness....I do not hold Steinway to a higher standard than one I hold for myself but expect that the quote.... "World's finest piano" would demonstrate the same commitment to excellence and honesty that we and so many of you do.</pre><pre>What do you think?</pre><pre style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica; "> Fair enough?</pre><pre style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; ">Dale</pre><pre style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; "><tt> </tt></pre> <div style="color: navy; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; clear: both; ">Dale Erwin R.P.T. Erwin's Piano Restoration Inc. Mason & Hamlin/Steinway/U.S. pianos <a href="http://www.Erwinspiano.com" target="_blank">www.Erwinspiano.com</a> Phone: 209-577-8397 <tt>     </tt> </div> <div style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt; ">-----Original Message----- From: Ron Nossaman <<a href="mailto:rnossaman@cox.net">rnossaman@cox.net</a>> To: pianotech <<a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a>> Sent: Sun, Oct 21, 2012 9:05 am Subject: Re: [pianotech] Fw: who pays? P.S. <div id="AOLMsgPart_0_9fc61141-a097-4734-8f63-dc3408da7d39" style="margin: 0px; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><pre style="font-size: 9pt; "><tt>On 10/21/2012 10:09 AM, Euphonious Thumpe wrote: > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > *From: * Euphonious Thumpe <<a href="mailto:lclgcnp@yahoo.com">lclgcnp@yahoo.com</a>>; > *To: * Prof. Euphonious Thump <<a href="mailto:lclgcnp@yahoo.com">lclgcnp@yahoo.com</a>>; > *Subject: * Re: [pianotech] who pays? P.S. > *Sent: * Sun, Oct 21, 2012 3:04:36 PM > > On second thought: I truly WOULD NOT want S&S to adopt the improvements > researched and developed by the dedicated and careful craftsmen experts > on this list, because, after seeing "The Making of L-101", I am > convinced that only a small percentage of its workforce would be > interested in executing them properly. (So its better that only those > who developed them benefit, and "May the best piano win!") Don't worry. Steinway making fundamental changes would be admitting that what they have been doing for the last hundred years (even though that has changed), is less than ideal. That won't happen. Consider that when they needed a new model for the marketing mill, they couldn't design one, or hire someone to do so, but rather married within the family and resurrected the model O. As to them being capable of building a good piano of a different design, I don't see a problem. One of the major points in the redesign that I do (Not speaking for the others) is that they don't take supernatural methods to build, and that Steinway's deficiencies are primarily in the design, not so much in the execution. With some working design changes and uniform production and assembly jigging and procedures, there's no reason other than their attitude that Steinway couldn't make a DEPENDABLY first rate piano. I've said the same of Baldwin. Ron N</tt></pre></div> </div> <div style="color: navy; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; clear: both; ">Dale Erwin R.P.T. Erwin's Piano Restoration Inc. Mason & Hamlin/Steinway/U.S. pianos <a href="http://www.Erwinspiano.com" target="_blank">www.Erwinspiano.com</a> Phone: 209-577-8397 <tt><tt>     </tt></tt> </div> </div>  </div> </div>  </div>