<!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 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2>Terry,</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2>Now that I begin to have a somewhat bigger back of tricks than , say 20 = years ago, when I find an instrument that I feel is willing to give some musical = quality and pleasure to the owner, I am much more accepting a lot of problems as = lousy regulation, insufficient voicing, problems due to age or bad condition = (extra damp or dry), etc, and I will fight (well , not too hard) to obtain an instrument that gives pleasure to me and the owner.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2>Happily, it is often a matter of a few hours, to shape a bit = the hammers, mate to strings, check regulation fast, give back some resiliency in the = hammers, tune, voice, and then all the remaining quality that was = intended to be there when the piano was build begin to show.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2>Sometime this work have never really been done, and the piano = sound almost as if it where new.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2>But I believe I know the feeling you have, it is mostly frustration of not = being able to have an enough good result while working on supposed good pianos. = Then you accuse the crown, down bearing, capo noise, bridge pins, and so on ..</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2>Don't take it bad, I've done the same before.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2>There is an only answer : learn to do the things at the best level possible. = You will see that all is much simple after that (but it still is hard work sometime).</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2>Take care ,</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2>The best</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2>Isaac OLEG</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=978000018-11052002><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff = size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px = solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Tahoma size=2>-----Message d'origine-----<BR><B>De :</B> = owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]<B>De la part de</B> Farrell<BR><B>Envoyé :</B> samedi 11 mai 2002 = 14:23<BR><B>À :</B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B>Objet :</B> Re: 1969 Steinway L CBS?<BR><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080>Comments below:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080> <SPAN id=__#Ath#SignaturePos__></SPAN> </FONT></DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- <DIV>From: "Richard Brekne" <<A = href="mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no">Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no</= A>></DIV> <DIV>To: <<A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>></DIV> <DIV>Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2002 6:13 AM</DIV> <DIV>Subject: Re: 1969 Steinway L CBS?</DIV></DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV>> Farrell wrote:<BR>> <BR>> > I have yet to run into = a brand Y piano that regulates its own dampers!<BR>> > From the = standpoint of a technician, I am not crabbing about brand X.<BR>> > I am simply = stating a general observation regarding how they hold up<BR>> > over the = years compared to some other pianos, most notably brand Y.<BR>> > From = the standpoint of the consumer, having purchased a new brand X<BR>> = > vertical before getting into this field, I am indeed crabbing. And = I<BR>> > got something to crab about!   ;-0 With good intent = throughout, Terry<BR>> > Farrell<BR>> <BR>> Hmmm... so you owned a = Steinway upright that went bad.... for reasons<BR>> not completely = understood to us others</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080>Yes, I bought a new 1098 about five years = ago. I don't think "went bad" is correct. If it "went bad", it occurred = before Steinway sold it to me. IMHO, it was made bad (1/4" reverse crown with = lots of downbearing?).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>> ... you had some bad experience in<BR>> dealing with = their service department as well ?? (seem to remember you<BR>> saying = something about this a while back.. am I wrong ?)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080>IMHO, very bad, rude ("you'll get used to = that dinging noise"), unsatisfactory (to put it mildly). Yes, this has been = addressed in the past.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>> And from this<BR>> and from your experience base you = feel justified in condemning what the<BR>> vast majority of pianists = clearly recognize as the best sounding and<BR>> playing instrument = available for purchase these past 120 years or so.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080>This aspect of this thread started out = addressing vertical pianos from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. I am only = speaking of vertical pianos. MHO is based in part on my 1098 that = had serious defects and they were unwilling to fix properly, but mostly = MHO is based on the group of maybe 20 or 30 Steinway verticals that I have = run across over the past few years while servicing pianos. Almost every one (and = I can't recall one that didn't) had some portion (some, multiple = items) of a combination of cracked bridges, lots of excessive string noise, poor = hammer alignment (and other action components), way out of regulation, poor = string terminations, poorly performing dampers - the type of things that = one sees while tuning and lead one to feel that the piano is quite worn = out for its age. Yamaha verticals that I see from this era are mostly in very = good condition, with few if any of the aforementioned problems, or at least = to a significantly less degree.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080>Again, I am strictly speaking to my own = observations. Who knows, maybe the brand Y are in such good condition because they = are miserable to play and sound bad so no one plays them, while brand X = sounds so nice and plays great so that everyone plays it day and night. I don't = know that to be the case though.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080>Except for the few specific and well documented problems some Steinway grand pianos exhibit = (verdigris, Teflon action centers, poor action geometry), I have much respect = for their grand pianos.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><BR>> I know people who CHOOSE not to buy a BMW..... not = because they dont<BR>> think of it as a good car... but because its tempermental = and needs lots<BR>> of looking after.  Then I also know people who = think BMW's are lousy<BR>> cars..... because they are = tempermental....<BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080>Well, I guess if you want a piano that = is often not quite working well, and that has </FONT><FONT color=#000000>".....faults in each one that can be discovered and = cherished over the years"<FONT color=#008080>, then go for it!   :-)</FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080>Again, all this seems to be clear from = my observations based on a few tens of pianos. I'm not a statistician. = Perhaps that is not enough of a sampling.</FONT> <FONT color=#008080>If = not, ignore everything I've said. You may choose that route = anyway!   ;-)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#008080></FONT><BR>> --<BR>> Richard = Brekne<BR>> RPT, N.P.T.F.<BR>> Bergen, Norway<BR>> <A = href="mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no">mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no</A><BR>&= gt; <A = href="http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html">http://home.broad= park.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html</A><BR>> <BR>> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>