<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"> Well, we’ve dissed Worleys and Baldwins until they are now made off shore.  It’s Steinway’s turn to be dissed, I guess!  Wrong stringing scale, overblown advertising, who gives a plug nickel?  We purchased 28 Model 45’s (1098s) last year and I am very much impressed with them:  1.  Front rail and balance rail punchings same as Steinway grands; 2.  True sostenuto pedal – first I’ve seen in an upright (I know there are others; go ahead, tell me about it) – which means that our piano majors can play the music using the same pedal techniques as when they are playing the grands; 3.  Hammer rest rail adjusts with capstans, rather than having to glue additional felt under them to adjust the hammer blow distance; 4.  Action posts are in the front of the action rather than the back so replacing the action is the easiest I’ve seen;  5.  When removing the action the pedal rods stay in place because they are supported (like many of the old turn-of-the-century uprights);  6.  The fallboard and cheek blocks are removed in one piece just like the grands.  7.  Don’t know whether this is good or bad, but they use the same letoff regulating screws as the grands (jack screws).  I’m sure there are others but they just don’t come to mind.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> There is a design problem or two that I wish were different, but I choose to be positive about the pianos and I’m impressed with them.  Gee, I feel so much better!<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Joy!<o:p></o:p> Elwood<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Rev. Elwood Doss, Jr., M. Mus. Ed., RPT<o:p></o:p> Piano Technician/Technical Director<o:p></o:p> Department of Music<o:p></o:p> 355 Clement Hall<o:p></o:p> University of Tennessee at Martin<o:p></o:p> Martin, TN 38237<o:p></o:p> Office: 731/881-1852<o:p></o:p> Fax: 731/881-7415<o:p></o:p> Cell: 731/479-4043<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> From: Dale Erwin [mailto:erwinspiano@aol.com] Sent: Sunday, October 21, 2012 1:57 PM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Re: [pianotech] who pays--A perspective On Steinway marketing<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> comments below<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><o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <div id="AOLMsgPart_0_3e36d956-a9aa-4344-addf-8d3fde3a46f9"> <pre style="background:white"><tt>Which incredible amounts of money are those, Dale? Here in the land of <o:p></o:p></tt></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>300,000 people, depressed aircraft industry driven, that ain't <o:p></o:p></tt></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>happening. You folks within an hours drive of 4 million people will <o:p></o:p></tt></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>never get that one - ever.</tt><o:p></o:p></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt> That comment was primarily I hope for the long ears listening from ........</tt><o:p></o:p></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt> But...Over a lifetime of repairing these pianos, it adds up. And you are correct the geographic/demographic</tt><o:p></o:p></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>  difference is huge. I'm 100 miles from 4 plus million folks in the bay area and 300 miles from 12 million in L.A</tt><o:p></o:p></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>a</tt><tt>nd the pianos come from farther away. </tt><tt><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>> They have provided us with a very special opportunity to develop our<o:p></o:p></tt></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>> own research and design capabilities & in all sincerity...I am<o:p></o:p></tt></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>> grateful for this.<o:p></o:p></tt></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>Bullshit. </tt><tt>Ok, whatever and make money at it? </tt><o:p></o:p></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>There are plenty of other pianos with the same problems.</tt><o:p></o:p></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt> And no one pays us to repair them although we are rebuilding a schiller upright from Vegas and some Masons >From San Diego</tt><o:p></o:p></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt> </tt><tt> It's <o:p></o:p></tt></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>just the public's and technicians snob attitude connecting to Steinway's <o:p></o:p></tt></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>snob attitude that makes Steinway the most improved make.</tt><o:p></o:p></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt> . It is what it is. The name draws money. Money gives opportunity. Hey... I didn't make the rules.</tt><o:p></o:p></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>  Are you saying I'm a snob? If so Then you don't know me.</tt> <tt><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>> You      dislike their behavior<o:p></o:p></tt></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>> toward you and you dislike them but, they feed you anyway.</tt><o:p></o:p></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>I dislike their attitude toward me/us not them personally.  We're saying the same thing.</tt><tt><o:p></o:p></tt></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>Wrong. I don't dislike them, but rather their attitude that a <o:p></o:p></tt></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>demonstrably deficient series of design decisions make the best piano in <o:p></o:p></tt></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>the world. And they sure as hell aren't feeding me.</tt><tt> </tt><o:p></o:p></pre> <pre style="background:white"><tt>Understood-Dale</tt><o:p></o:p></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> </div> </div> </div> </body> </html>