<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 5.50.4915.500" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>Comments interspersed below:</DIV> <DIV> <SPAN id=__#Ath#SignaturePos__></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- <DIV>From: "John Musselwhite" <<A href="mailto:john@musselwhite.com">john@musselwhite.com</A>></DIV> <DIV>To: <<A = href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>></DIV> <DIV>Sent: Friday, May 10, 2002 8:47 PM</DIV> <DIV>Subject: Re: 1969 Steinway L CBS?</DIV></DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV>> At 08:07 AM 08/05/02 -0400, Terry wrote:<BR>> <BR>> >Reasonable point. But what is one to conclude when 30-year-old brand = X <BR>> >pianos regularly have loose action part, poor alignment, = rubbing this and <BR>> >that, way out of regulation, many string noises, = uneven tone, etc.<BR>> <BR>> I'd conclude that either the owner or the = technician wasn't looking after <BR>> the piano very well, especially if it's a hand-made brand X instrument.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008000>Yes, we are talking about brand X. I think = your conclusion is correct - but that same conclusion applies to most pianos, = regardless of manufacturer.<BR></FONT><BR>> >- and brand Y = regularly have near new-looking and performing actions, <BR>> >great tuning characteristics, nice tone, etc.?<BR>> <BR>> A neglected brand Y instrument won't fare very well either, although to <BR>> some extent = I think they're designed to tolerate a certain amount of neglect.<BR>> = <BR>> >No one 30 year-old piano tells the whole story of a manufacturer, = but <BR>> >dozens and dozens from the same manufacturer with very = similar <BR>> >characteristics start to present a clear picture.<BR>> = <BR>> Two pictures come to my mind. One is a hand-painted canvas in oils with = <BR>> shading, brush strokes and indeed faults in each one that can be = discovered <BR>> and cherished over the years. Each one is different and while = some are <BR>> better than others, they're all original paintings. They're = also somewhat <BR>> fragile, and in order to be preserved they have to be = kept in a good <BR>> environment and "serviced" now and then to keep them in = good condition. A <BR>> good craftsman can even correct some of the = "faults" without taking away <BR>> from the original painting.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008000>Oh, paaalease! All pianos of decent and = better quality are made to stand up to similar use. They are not fragile. They are = meant to be played. Yes, they should be maintained.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008000></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008000>I wonder if you would feel the same way if = you just paid $14,000 for a new brand X vertical and the dealer told you that = "you'll get used to that dinging noise, and that clicking" - or referring to the reverse-crowned (by 1/4") soundboard - "there's nothing wrong with that = - it sounds OK" - and how about the pinblock separated from the backframe = "oh, that's just cosmetic - we can put a shim in the crack!". I can pretty well = guarantee you that words like "can be discovered and cherished over the years" = will in fact NOT be on the tip of your tongue.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008000></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008000>I wholeheartedly disagree with you that they are "original" paintings. Each piano of a given model is made to = the exact same design. There may be more hand labor in brand X than Y, but they = are far from each one being an original. Every deviation from spec falls into = one of two categories: within tolerance, or error - not an artists = whim.<BR></FONT><BR>> The other picture is a fairly inexpensive mass-produced print of a = similar <BR>> painting that is certainly enjoyable and all the mistakes in = the original <BR>> are nicely covered up or eliminated totally, but one = is pretty-much the <BR>> same as the next one. You don't need to do much = to preserve them, and when <BR>> the inks finally fade you just buy = another that looks very much like the <BR>> last one did when it was new.<BR>> = <BR>> A third picture (actually, genre of them) just came into my mind. This = <BR>> includes those of  Velvet Elvis and dogs dressed like humans = playing poker <BR>> or pool. In piano terms those are the "basement pianos"... the = ones that <BR>> can't be taken apart anymore because the parts have all = been finished over <BR>> with Roxotone or perhaps Varathaned in brilliant = circus colors with all the <BR>> ivories painted according to the note. We = can ignore those for this discussion.<BR>> <BR>> There is nothing = wrong with any of these pictures because there will always <BR>> be people who = love, hate or are indifferent to all of them. The technicians <BR>> who = look after and restore the pictures often have a totally different view <BR>> = than the general public has since they are up on the more esoteric aspects = <BR>> of the works.<BR>> <BR>> For some reason a few technicians crab about = the oil paintings while being <BR>> well-paid to make sure they continue to = give enjoyment to their owners, who <BR>> incidentally paid for the = paintings whether you like them or not. They <BR>> present a particular = challenge to the technician because they aren't <BR>> perfect, but at least they = are made of standard materials so correction is <BR>> possible. It gives the technician the chance to show what they can do, not <BR>> just relax = and let the job almost do itself.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008000>I have yet to run into a brand Y piano that = regulates its own dampers! From the standpoint of a technician, I am not crabbing = about brand X. I am simply stating a general observation regarding how they = hold up over the years compared to some other pianos, most notably brand Y. From = the standpoint of the consumer, having purchased a new brand X vertical = before getting into this field, I am indeed crabbing. And I got something to = crab about!   ;-0</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008000></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008000>With good intent throughout,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008000></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008000>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV> <DIV><BR>> <BR>> It also gives them the chance to crab too, I suppose.<BR>> <BR>>             &= nbsp;    John<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> John Musselwhite, RPT    -     Calgary, Alberta Canada<BR>> <A href="http://www.musselwhite.com">http://www.musselwhite.com</A>  = <A href="http://canadianpianopage.com/calgary">http://canadianpianopage.co= m/calgary</A><BR>> Pianotech IRC chats Tuesday and Thursday nights and Sunday = Mornings<BR>> <A href="http://www.bigfoot.com/~kmvander/ircpiano.html">http://www.bigfoo= t.com/~kmvander/ircpiano.html</A><BR>> <BR>> </DIV></BODY></HTML>