<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" = xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <link rel=File-List href="cid:filelist.xml@01C60026.8AB8C540">  <style>  </style>  </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple = style='tab-interval:.5in'> <div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Okay, Terry. Give us a workable = standard- what you’d like to see. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoAutoSig><b><font size=6 color=navy face="Bradley = Hand ITC"><span style='font-size:22.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bradley = Hand ITC"; color:navy;font-weight:bold;mso-no-proof:yes'>Dean<o:p></o:p></span></fon= t></b></p> <p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New = Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy;mso-no-proof:yes'>Dean May<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>       &nbs= p;     </span>cell = 812.239.3359<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New = Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy;mso-no-proof:yes'>PianoRebuilders.co= m<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>   = </span>812.235.5272<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New = Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy;mso-no-proof:yes'>Terre Haute = IN<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  = </span>47802<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original = Message-----<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> = pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b><span = style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Farrell<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, December = 13, 2005 7:54 PM<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> pianotech@ptg.org<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Rebuild = Standards - Warning: Major Rant</span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Oh I wish there were some = standards for the "rebuilt" piano.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>I know this has been = covered before, but I just got slapped in the face with it today and it is so fresh in = my mind. I can't resist. Delete now if you prefer.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Appointment to tune an "old" piano out in the country - I figured either an old = upright or a 1940s Acrosonic spinet. </span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Wrong. About a 1910 = Chickering 5' 8" grand. Just rebuilt about 6 years ago. Family = heirloom.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Very nice new = million-dollar-plus home. Nobody plays the piano. They are hiring a college student pianist = to play for an upcoming party.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>"Rebuild" = consisted of the all-too-common minimum - case refinish, plate refinish, = new strings (wound tricords and all), new tuning pins (various heights and = many loose string coils - and the damn becket end sticking out a half inch), = new damper felt (twice as wide as the damper heads, of course), new hammers = (at every angle under the sun) and new keytops. That's it. Nothing = else.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>The keytops weren't too = bad.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>The action had not been = regulated. New hammers, and not regulated. Original key bushings so worn = that they allow keys to bang into one another. Key level all over the place. = All original front rail paper and felt punchings (no doubt center rail = also)! Original worn out backchecks (yup, and new hammers). Original shank/flange/knuckles - knuckles are like little squares (let-off is = definitely an "event"). Soundboard cracked to smithereenes. Original = cracked bridge cap with original pins. This piano is almost completely = devoid of sound - it is soooooo quiet. Talk about a killer octave - this thing has = a killer keyboard - 88 of 'em. The entire high treble section hasn't one = string that rings - the best ones sound like a little electric wire shorting = out - zszszszsszszszszt! The action is as slow and mushy and heavy as any = trash action I have run across.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>I asked the lady if = the rebuilder talked to her about rebuild task options - she said no - she = just told the guy to do everything that it needed. She paid $7K - a little = high for the work done - but that's not the point. The lady wanted a piano that = worked well. She got a decent-looking 600 lb. cow = pie.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>I didn't say anything else = to her. But I sure wanted to. Is there some way to tell her what a crap piano = she has?</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Then I went to a funeral = home in a poor neighborhood of Tampa. Tuned a typical crap little 1960s = Aeolian spinet - fair bit of wear, about a dozen universal bass strings, etc., = etc. With absolutely no exaggeration, that Aeolian spinet was = easily more than ten times the musical instrument than the Chickering grand. The spinet = played way better, it sounded way better, it was 10 times louder, the treble = actually rang a little. Think about it. That is = amazing.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>If I ever service that = grand again I'm going to bring my Lowell gauge and crown-measuring string and try to = figure out how a piano could possibly sound that bad. = <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></fo= nt></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Sorry. End of rant. I was = just so blown away by the crap work done on the grand and this contrast = between the two pianos.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 = face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 = face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Terry = Farrell</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> </div> </body> </html>