[CAUT] Hello - and looking for piano replacement help

Christopher Purdy purdy@ohio.edu
Sat, 2 Apr 2005 17:57:22 -0500


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Rob,

Put on your boots.  I laid this on pretty thick.

I have been the sole piano technician at Ohio University for almost =20
fifteen years now.  I know first hand of the extreme wear and damage =20
pianos are subjected to in a university setting.  Practice room and =20
faculty studio pianos receive ten fold the amount of use and abuse as =20=

any piano in a home situation.

Pianos must be replaced on a consistent basis due to the excessive =20
burden placed on them by 14 to 16 hours of heavy daily usage.  Extreme =20=

wear on all piano parts demands an inordinate amount of time for =20
repair, rebuilding, and re-regulation.  The piano technician's time =20
that should be spent on fine tuning and close regulation is lost to =20
many hours of extensive repair, just to get the piano playable.

A school of music should not have mediocre pianos that can barely be =20
maintained to a passable level.  We should be offering our students the =20=

best possible instruments to facilitate the level of pedagogy expected =20=

of us.

Edit away,
Chris


On Apr 1, 2005, at 3:16 PM, Rob Goodale wrote:

> Hello all, new to the list.
> =A0
> For those who don't know me:
> Piano Tech for UNLV (University of Nevada, Las Vegas),=A0over 6 years =20=

> now.
> RPT for at least 10 years now.
> Former subscriber to the PTG tech list for many years -=A0got =
disgusted =20
> with it's degradation and=A0left about six months ago.
> =A0
> =
-----------------------------------------------------------------------=20=

> =
-----------------------------------------------------------------------=20=

> ----------------------------------
> -AND NOW FOR SERIOUS BUSINESS-
> =A0
> UNLV has a host of junky pianos suitable for use as boat anchors.=A0 =20=

> Mostly Yamahas and Kawais averaging in age from about 20-30 years, =20
> (scary).=A0 For all practical purposes they are no longer =
maintainable, =20
> don't stay tuned, breaking strings, beat to death, etc.
> =A0
> After years of persuasion and warnings I actually have the =20
> administration listening and contemplating budgeting for replacing the =
=20
> entire lot of them, (about +/-=A045=A0units).=A0 We have received bids =
and =20
> some factory reps have visited.=A0 I am now writing a detailed report =
to =20
> submit next week which will=A0express my findings, recommendations, =
and =20
> will include close up color photographs of worn out piano parts.=A0 =
This =20
> is what I hope will be the final blow that will topple the preverbal =20=

> tower of administrative resistance.
> =A0
> We currently have a dealer loan program that appears to have worn out =20=

> it's usefulness.=A0 It really needs to go away permanently in favor of =
=20
> all new owned replacements.=A0 I know there are many of you out there =20=

> who have had plenty of experience in loan programs.=A0 I am hoping to =20=

> accumulate a few short testimonials from other university techs on =20
> "why old university pianos need to be replaced", and "why=A0dealer =
loan =20
> programs are a bad idea".=A0 (For those who have had good loan program =
=20
> experiences this part is not for you).=A0 I am=A0hoping for a=A0couple =
=20
> short=A0paragraphs from a few=A0other university techs=A0that I =
can=A0quote=A0in =20
> my report.=A0 Anyone willing to contribute please forward your prose =
to =20
> me ASAP.=A0 Be aware that I may be required to do some minor editing, =20=

> (including possible shortening), =A0to make your words fit within the =20=

> space and context of my report.=A0 Please include the name of the =20
> university.
> =A0
> Thanks for your help.
> =A0
> Rob Goodale, RPT
> Las Vegas, NV
>
Christopher D. Purdy R.P.T.
School of Music, Ohio University
Rm. 311, Robt. Glidden Hall
Athens, OH  45701
Office (740) 593-1656
Cell    (740) 590-3842
fax      (740) 593-1429
http://www.ohiou.edu/music

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