<HTML><BODY STYLE="font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV>Dave,</DIV> <D=
IV> </DIV> <DIV>I have one of these Kohler & Campbells in my stu=
dio. One major repair that you will have to do is replace the faux =
buckskin on the backchecks (my guess would be within 6 years)&n=
bsp;the felt that they use will shred and fly all over the piano, leading=
the customer to ask "What's that yellow stuff all over my hammers and&nb=
sp;in my piano?" I have had some problem with binding center pins i=
n various locations (this may be a result of insufficient climate control=
) and tuning instability (this may be a result of the lump who is tuning =
it).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Because of the finish, we have named th=
e instrument "Clifford, the Big Red Piano". Sadly he will go back t=
o the dealer tomorrow and be replaced by "Wurly, the Old Grand that my Pa=
rtner Bought Without Me Looking at it First". I smell adventures in=
regulation and repair coming...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The Samik i=
s not a really bad piano for the price, but I thought it might help you t=
o give you some of the situations I have dealt with. I don't really=
believe that the Korean piano will keep a great resale value, IMO. =
But with a skilled tech around, it won't give her too much grief.</DIV> =
<DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mitch Ruth</DIV> <DIV>DeMossville, KY</DIV> <DIV>&=
nbsp;</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-L=
EFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV=
style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message -----</DIV> <DIV style=
="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; COLOR: black; FONT: 10pt Arial"><B>From:</B> Dav=
e Nereson</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, July=
16, 2001 10:29 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial"><B>To:</B> piano=
tech@ptg.org</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial"><B>Subject:</B> recomm=
endations for piano buyer</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>To the list in general:<=
BR> This appraising, evaluating, and recommending which=
piano to buy gets<BR>sticky sometimes. A long time piano teacher c=
ustomer of mine is thinking of<BR>buying a 1925 5' 8" Mason & Hamlin =
for around $9 or 10 thousand. It does<BR>have a very nice tone, but there=
are 7 cracks in the soundboard (they don't<BR>buzz; there's not much rib=
separation, they're not opened up, but they're<BR>"there") and the board=
doesn't have any crown left. (Has anybody ever<BR>tightened the tu=
rnbuckles on the "spider", or tension resnator? Does it<BR>restore =
crown? Or do you just not mess with it?). The action's in pre=
tty<BR>good shape for its age, but I can see that after another filing or=
two,<BR>it'll need new hammers, and probably in 10 or so years it'll als=
o need<BR>flange repinning, new knuckles or new shanks and flanges, and k=
ey rebushing.<BR>Also it's got the two-piece jacks, some of which have be=
en repaired or<BR>reglued, so I know others will also start to click, bre=
ak, or separate. She<BR>likes the tone, the touch, and the ivories,=
which are pristine.<BR> But for the same price ($10 K)=
, she could get a brand new piano, even<BR>though it's a Korean-made Kohl=
er & Campbell. To me, the tone isn't that<BR>much different, an=
d I checked the sustain time in the upper treble, and it's<BR>about the s=
ame (5 seconds, holding the damper for that note up and plucking<BR>one s=
tring). It's a stiffer touch, being new, but that should loosen up<=
BR>some with breaking-in.<BR> Even though the M&H i=
s prestigious and might sort of retain its value<BR>because of the name, =
it's already 75 years old and will need major action<BR>work in the next =
2 or 3 decades, whereas the new K & C will just need minor<BR>stuff (=
light hammer filing, screw tightening, regulation touch-up, voicing)<BR>a=
nd probably nothing major for at least 20 years. And after that len=
gth of<BR>time, the K & C will be worth maybe 2/3 what she paid for i=
t while the M & H<BR>will only be worth $5, 6, 7K (today's prices).&n=
bsp; (?)<BR> Should I tell her to just buy the one she =
thinks sounds best in terms of<BR>tone, or should I tell her you're alway=
s better off buying a brand-new<BR>instrument, even if it's not a high-en=
d brand? Thanks for any<BR>pinions. ---- Vascilla=
ting, --Dave Nereson, RPT, Denver<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML=
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