<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">
<html>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
Well now, Tom and Roy, aren't you both going a little too far? On
the one hand, surely the Betsy Ross isn't a good piano, but it certainly
isn't a toy, and while I know some people have these things even though
they could easily afford something better, there are others who have them
because it is the best they can afford. Some may disagree with me,
but I think a low quality piano is better than no piano at all. (And
I am a "respectful technician.")
<p>On the other hand, "congratulate them on the finest purchase they've
ever made"? How can one justify that? There's got to be a middle
road somewhere. Let's find it.
<p>Regards, Clyde
<p>Tom Driscoll wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE><style></style>
<blockquote
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----</div>
<div
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><b>From:</b>
<a href="mailto:RCzekay@AOL.COM" title="RCzekay@AOL.COM">RCzekay@AOL.COM</a></div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" title="pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a></div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Monday, September 03, 2001 6:43
PM</div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> Re: Betsy Ross pianos</div>
<font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=+0>Well put Terry,</font></font>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=+0>The Betsy Ross was nothing
more than a toy piano, and why any respectful</font></font>
<br><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=+0>technician would even give
a second thought to replacing plastic flanges, and</font></font>
<br><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=+0>taking the customers money,
when the end result will still be a piano that</font></font>
<br><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=+0>plays and sounds like a
toy, is beyond me. But of course, the customer is</font></font>
<br><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=+0>always right, right? It
would be doing the customer a big favor to try to</font></font>
<br><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=+0>educate him, and to try
to improve his taste in music, by purchasing a piano</font></font>
<br><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=+0>that really is one.</font></font>
<p><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=+0>Roy Czekay</font></font>
<br><font face="arial,helvetica"><font size=+0>Milwaukee, WI</font></font> <font face="Arial">
Roy,</font><font face="Arial"> I happen to
be a respectful technician who would love to service only finer pianos,
but when presented with one of these piano's purchased in 1955
at great sacrifice to provide a musical education for the kids now lovingly
polished and played at christmas with lousy bass tone, false beats and
yes broken elbows, I'm going to congratulate them on the finest purchase
they've ever made and replace those elbows at a fair price. If it can't
be serviced , I'll be direct and walk away</font><font face="Arial"> I
let them know this is not a fine piano and won't talk about
restringing, new hammers , or any other work that exceeds the piano's value
and will always encourage upgrades when the situation warrants.</font><font face="Arial">
I'm almost 30 years in and next to the Steinway action on the bench
, I don't mind seeing a Lester or a Janssen ( Just no Kincaids - I'm not
a masochist )</font><font face="Arial"> Tom Driscoll</font></blockquote>
</blockquote>
</body>
</html>