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<DIV>
<DIV> Horace writes</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><=
FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=
=2>And,
sadly, there has not been sufficient numbers of quality instruments<BR>wit=
h
laminated boards for the "average" person (or, technician, for that<BR>mat=
ter)
to get anything more real than the marketing hype.</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DI=
V>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> Horace & all</DIV>
<DIV> Actually this is SO TRUE. Exposure is a
problem. Access to any type redesigned boards, in any
configuration any where, is hard to come by. The first rib & CC crowned
board I ever heard was at Ken Hannahs shop in Stillwater Minnisota Many year=
s
ago. At the time This just wasn't being done on the west coast in any number=
s by
any one. I had to travel that far for mentoring & exposure to new
boards.</DIV>
<DIV> The first Lam panel & rib crowned design combination&nb=
sp;I
had seen at convention was brought to Reno at great cost by Ron
O. The "Overs" piano was a pure & clear sounding
beauty & beautiful to look at as well. I still remember that plate in
polished acrlic enamel The sound & the new Action. Quite impressive in a=
ll
respects..Thanks Ron</DIV>
<DIV> My point is I've been building boards for a while & I've see=
n
precious few done by any one else in any form. So to see a new ,redesign or =
rib
crowned board etc I've had to go to conventions primarily for this=
kind of thing.</DIV>
<DIV> So, is it any wonder that the experience of most technicians
Including me are with purely vintage type C.C. crowned boards let
alone rib crowned or lam/rib crowned. We all as techs =
have
relatively little to compare to. </DIV>
<DIV> Even the recent discussion of rib crowned or rib crowned p=
lus
C.C. or complete redesign have even suffered a bit of derision here on =
the
list amongst the brethren. And some skeptism was heard , & probabl=
y
rightly so,as to whether these new designs possibly being as Magic as the
predominantly made & purely Compression Crowned boards we all have=
seen all of our carreers. If one has nothing to compare too how can an opini=
on
be formed?</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG> Our new age thinking on all these matters has a long way=
to
travel even in our own technical community let alone marketing offices
etc</STRONG>.</DIV>
<DIV> IMO , & Possibly the most forward thinking R.D in =
the
piano world today is being done by small shops not large Manufacturers. Will=
that ever translate to different choices in the Market place?? If so
slowly.</DIV>
<DIV> Until then I'll take every opportunity get some exposur=
e to
other folks piano designs & rebuilt pianos.</DIV>
<DIV><U> So for now, I believe the best value added pianos available t=
o
your clients is quite possibly the ones being rebuilt well by small shops &a=
mp;
small Manufactutreres & IMO is a truly value added
product. Forgive my shameless biased opinion</U>.</DIV>
<DIV> By Rebuilt " The Valued Added Piano"</DIV>
<DIV> Dale Erwin</DIV>
<DIV> My Restored Stwy D will be at convention for purview
& in Concert with Pianist Richard Glazier Sat At 4 pm At Calif
convention Feb 10 thru 12 CSU Sac.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> <STRONG> </STRONG><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 FAMILY="=
SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><STRONG>Erwins Pianos Restorations <BR>4721 Parker Rd.<BR>Mode=
sto,
Ca 95357<BR>209-577-8397<BR>Rebuilt Steinway , Mason &Hamlin
Sales<BR>www.Erwinspiano.com</STRONG></FONT></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>