<!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 6.00.2900.2722" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>A term like "completely rebuilt" can indeed = be wide-ranging and mean different things to different folks. However, $9K = for a sub-basic paint job, new strings and new keytops is nothing short of a = rip-off IMHO. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Also, the piano owners had replacement insurance = - they could have gone out and had their insurance company buy them a new $14K = piano - but she had grown attached to the old Schubert and the task at hand for = the rebuilder was to make the piano like new - completely rebuild it! She = got ripped-off royally - misled, defrauded and ripped-off!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><EM><STRONG>Richard, the "Piano Guy" wrote:</STRONG></EM></DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV>Sometimes its hard to say where the term "completely rebuilt" = comes from. I have clients who use that term, after I replaced a few hard dampers, = and tuned it. They call me and say you 'rebult" my piano last year, can = you come and tune it. I am not sure how that happens. But I do know I come = across 1st time clients that tell me old so and so rebuilt my piano and put in = all new felt. How much did that cost I ask. Claiming she spent over a = thousand, I dont have the ehart to tell them all that got replaced was bridle straps. I = guess what I am saying is, sometimes its the client, sometimes its the tech = who did the dirty worjk. IMHO.<BR><BR><B><I>Farrell <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com></I></B> wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px = solid"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2722" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I know. We've all seen 'em. But I = still am dumbfounded each time I run across a really bad one like the following:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Went to tune a 90-year-old Schubert = microgrand today. Lady said it was hard to control the action. I told her it = was because her action had 90 years worth of wear (except for new = keytops) and was way out of regulation- likely never regulated. Brought it to my = shop today for a full action regulation and refurbishing.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The piano had been = recently refinished (no grain filling, no rub-out), restrung (no bridge work, coils = half-inch above plate, coils not tight, etc.) and most damper felts replaced = (several were orginals or used, a couple flat felts in bass, lengths very = irregular, etc). Original pinblock, no bridge work, action completely original and = never regulated (key leveling looked like I-75 going into the foothills of = the Appalacian Mountains), keypins are severely rusted - key bushings = are toast.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Lady told me the piano had been = "completely rebuilt" 8 years ago. It had been subject to some water damage = and their insurance paid for the "complete rebuild". And she thought it = was a good deal because the rebuilder said the replacement value was = $14,000 and he was only charging $9,000 for the rebuild. Before she told me = those fees, she asked me what had been done to the piano (after I told her the = action was all original) and what I would have charged for the work that = had been done. I told her it had been refinished, restrung and new keytops = installed - that's all -  and that if I were to do those tasks as had = been done, I would charge about $3,500. She appeared somewhat shell-shocked.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What a ripoff. Sad.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>