<!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 6.00.2900.2769" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Gee willikers, please read what I wrote:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><EM>"I think the answer lies in the = performance sought. If this is a <BR>low-performance piano or if cost is a major = factor, it might not make any <BR>difference to leave the original shanks on (if no = history of breaks, etc.). <BR>But if it is a piano where high performance is = expected, then by all means, <BR>replace the shanks."<BR></EM></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Isn't that what you are saying in your = most recent post as well?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In your previous post you suggest that = it is never appropriate to replace shanks:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><EM>"Interesting, and, I completely = disagree with you - checkmate.<BR>My mentor of 30+ years as an RPT, said not to. He = has NEVER has any <BR>complaints from customers -and- no return calls from broken = hammer shanks."</EM></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><EM></EM></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>And certainly, if the customer agrees = to have shanks replaced, one would charge the appropriate parts and labor fees.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Boy, you just don't read posts before = you toss all contributors on the list into one mischaracterized catagory. Just the = other day I wrote:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><EM>"I'm currently band-aiding together = a 90-year-old microgrand action for a piano that I spent a good 20 minutes = trying to convince the lady to have hauled to the landfill....... (I'm = talkin' gluing the keyframe back together - it's totally trashed)  :-(     Tomorrow I'll be doing an elbow replacement = job for another piano that I recommended for the landfill."</EM></DIV> <DIV><BR>Yesterday I did that elbow replacement job. The grandma = was just about doing backflips she was so happy. That's cool. Her piano was = still pretty much crappy. I think the biggest point in all this is that = some folks think, and I am among them, that it is appropriate to spend a few = minutes educating the piano owner about the performance characteristics of = various types of pianos and the possibility of replacement, especially in cases where = the cost of repair exceeds the value of the piano, or when a significantly better = replacement could be had for the cost of repair, or also when the skill = level of the player exceeds the performance capabilities of the instrument.</DIV> <DIV><BR>I am a piano technician and one of the services I offer is = consultation. I find it best for business and reputation to serve = the customer with skills and expertice - and that means informing the client = about the world of pianos when appropriate. I believe it is inappropriate to = focus on the "old beater" as some sort of gold mine that is to be mined to the = point of no return at all costs, i.e. service the client rather than just the piano.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Terry Farrell</DIV></FONT> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>----- Original Message ----- = </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>> Again, you guys are mixing the = lower class and the upper class of pianos <BR>> (and customers)<BR>> <BR>> = Sure, if the piano was an upper class piano, then I -would- replace the <BR>> = hammer shanks BUT 99% of my pianos are the lower class, and mostly old <BR>> = uprights that have been in the family for years and the client just = <BR>> wants to get it playable again, without spending a lot of money.<BR>> = <BR>> So, if I follow what you guys are saying, is to replace the = hammer <BR>> shanks every time and for me to eat the cost and labor to do = that ?  I <BR>> think not !<BR>> <BR>> Boy, this list can't = give up to the fact that there are average people <BR>> that just want to get = there piano playing again -and- the upper-crust <BR>> people that can shell = out the money to do it "right".<BR>> <BR>> -- <BR>> Duaine Hechler</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>