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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Terry,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>>>Maybe the best thing to do is =
have this
piano owner play a good performing new piano and then ask her how much =
she is
really attached to her original antique hammers. If she can't put =
two-and-two
together, then perhaps it doesn't matter.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><grin></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Well, to tell you the truth, she's a =
talented
composer and an excellent violinist/violist, but she's a lousy =
pianist.
(And she teaches piano to pay some of her educational expenses, which is =
kinda
scary...) She can well appreciate the subtleties of a fine =
violin or
viola (and has a couple of very nice instruments), =
but she bangs and
whangs rather clumsily at the piano. Anyway, she has access =
to some
very fine pianos and has undoubtedly played them. (At the Calif. =
Inst. of
the Arts, where she did her undergrad work, it seems I saw 9' =
Bosie
Imperials sitting around everywhere!) She should know how a fine
instrument plays.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>On one hand, your suggestion may be =
valid that it
doesn't matter, so long as she can't tell the difference. On the =
other
hand, she's not a typical pianist. She wants to start a career =
scoring
films, and I really think she needs a piano that sounds/performs like =
other
pianos. Overly bright/flattened/grooved hammers don't sound like =
normal
hammers. More significantly, overly worn dampers are waaaay too =
slow to
damp. She might compose something that would "work" for her Knabe =
but
would wouldn't sound right on a well maintained piano. IMO, it =
needs the
work done, even if she doesn't appreciate the difference. =
Moreover, as you
said, Knabe made some very nice uprights. I think this one is =
worth a bit
of work, albeit perhaps not a complete restoration. As she moves =
forward
with her career, she may well want to acquire a better piano but keep =
the Knabe
for its karma value. Or she could always do that full =
restoration.
Hey, I know this guy in Florida who turns out some awsome belly
work! ;-)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks, Don, for the museum curator
approach! Thanks also, David, for your confidence in =
her
ability to trust what I tell her about her piano. Unfortunately, =
I'm not a
professional, so she doesn't think I know anything -- and she's a =
composition
student, which means she knows "everything." My best approach may =
well be
to tell her that I sought out the advice of professionals throughout the =
world,
who were unanimous in their opinion on the subject!! =
;-)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Peace,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sarah</FONT></DIV>
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