<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <META content="MSHTML 5.50.4522.1800" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>I don't think it sounds uppity Wim.  At this early stage of my = piano career, I simply do not have the luxury of turning down work. I = have advised quite of few cheap grand and old upright and spinet owners that = they should just chuck their piano - and most have proceeded with that = course. But if they still want to go ahead with whatever work, as long as I am = convinced that the piano will meet their expectations when the scope of tasks is = completed, I will do anything. Doing partial work to a piano that is junk from top to = bottom, I will not do - such as putting new hammers on the typical old upright - = if the piano cannot be regulated, you can't sucessfully put new hammers on it - = with situations such as that, even I draw the line short of those jobs.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Some day, like you and many others Wim, I will gladly turn down = such work and recommend some talented newbie for the work and all will be happy! = But until then, refer all those Howard and Aeolian micro-grand refurbish work to = ME (Mason & Hamlins, Bosendorfers, and A.B. Chase also gladly = accepted)!!!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Terry Farrell <SPAN = id=__#Ath#SignaturePos__></SPAN> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=Wimblees@AOL.COM = href="mailto:Wimblees@AOL.COM">Wimblees@AOL.COM</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, December 15, = 2001 10:00 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Bridging the = cap</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=2>In a = message dated 12/15/01 1:49:51 PM !!!First Boot!!!, <A href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com</A> = writes: <BR><BR><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px" TYPE="CITE">I have done refurbishings on a couple family heirloom = spinets for $2,000+ - refinish, refurbish action, etc. - make 'em look like = new and play as good as they can - VERY happy customers. = </BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>From my point of view, and perhaps there are others who have 20 plus years = experience, when I find a piano such as an "heirloom" spinet, or Phil's Howard = grand, I can't, in good conscious, recommend the customer spend the money I = would need to charge to refurbish the piano. $2000 to refinish, restore the = action, tune, regulate, etc., is just not enough. Maybe Terry can afford to do it = for that price, but I can't.  By the same token, to do what Phil wants to = do to that Howard will be in the $12,000 - $15,000 range. Maybe he can do it = for much less, but I'm sorry, I personally can't justify charging that = kind of money on that kind of instrument. <BR><BR>There have been many times = when I've turned down a job because I couldn't justify charging what it would = take to "fix" the piano. But then found out later that the customer found = someone who charged less, and made the customer happy. Perhaps what I should do in = the future, instead of just turning down project like that, is find = younger, less experienced technicians, but who do admirable work, to take on = refurbishing these old relics. It give them the experience and money they need, and = frees up my time to take on other project that I feel justified taking money = for. Does that sound kind of "uppity?" Or are there other out there who = feel the same say? <BR><BR>Wim <BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>