<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2>In a message dated 6/1/01 10:14:48 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
<BR>dporritt@post.cis.smu.edu writes:
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<BR><BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">I have been in this work for just under 30 years. I've heard about any
<BR>question or comment possible by customers. There's one though, that
<BR>completely stumps me!
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<BR>If a piano needs a new sounding board I often here "...but it won't be a
<BR>Steinway anymore." I often come up with a lame analogy to a race driver.
<BR>He doesn't care what kind of fuel pump his car has as long as it's the
<BR>fastest it can be. Do you want your piano to be the best it can be, or do
<BR>you want to keep this old sounding board.
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<BR>Does anyone have a good, but not glib, answer for these people? I just
<BR>don't understand their thinking.
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<BR>dave
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<BR><B><I>A Steinway salesman told me once that for a Steinway to be rebuilt it has to
<BR>have genuine Steinway parts, genuine Steinway strings, Steinway pinblock and
<BR>genuine Steinway soundboard. Send it to Steinway to have a new board
<BR>installed. Anything less is no longer a Steinway.
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<BR>When I do an estimate for rebuilding, I ask the client which hat should I
<BR>ware? A Steinway hat, or technicians hat? Do I put genuine Steinway parts, or
<BR>should I put the best parts I know to use? I prefer the later. Most customers
<BR>want the piano to be the best it could be. It is not hard to explain.
<BR>
<BR>Dave Peake, RPT
<BR>Portland Chapter
<BR>Oregon City, OR
<BR>www.davespianoworks.com
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