Rep. for Felt Mfgr.

[Earl S. Dunlap, Jr.]

Gentlemen of the List:

I feel very privileged to have been able to read of your profession and its
intricacies over the past ten or so months.  One thread of late, that
dealing with piano manufacturers and the future of piano manufacture and
marketing spurs me to abandon my lurking ways and to ask for your help.

As you may recall some time ago I made a posting in which I identified
myself as a technologist with the Bacon Felt, Co., Inc. of Taunton, Mass.,
one of the few remaining pianofelt manufacturers (suppliers in bulk to piano
and hammer manufacturers).  Well, in case your wondering, we too need to
sell, and in our case more felt!  It does indeed appear, as some of you have
observed, that our best opportunities for increased sales are in the Far
East, in particular in China.  

Allbeit we have unique engineering and equipment to make hammer topfelt to
suit both the varied demands of the German and the US manufacturers, the
market in this country and Europe appears fairly flat (?).  What we feel are
unusual abilities to make colored underhammer felts, and the best variety of
colors and densities of damper felts are to little avail if we cannot reach
an adequate market.  

The Japanese appear to have a strong tendency to make and use their own
felt.  They say, "Yes."  Which definitely means, "We understand;"  not "Yes,
we'll buy from the United States!"  My surmise is that this could be the
case in China as well.

Are any of you in a position to recommend to me anyone who would be
represent us well in the Far East--particularly in China?  We feel we need
to identify someone who would be our agent to Chinese piano manufacturers.  

Thanks in advance for the kind help I know I'll receive.

Earl S. Dunlap, Jr.
Bacon Felt Co. Inc.
395 W. Water Street
Taunton, Mass. 02780

>Return-Path: <owner-pianotech@ptg.org>
>Date: Sat, 12 Jul 1997 07:26:21 -0700
>From: Delwin D Fandrich <pianobuilders@olynet.com>
>Organization: PianoBuilders/NW
>To: pianotech@ptg.org
>Subject: Re: piano manufacturers
>References: <m4D3lHA4M3xzEwLS@forte.forte.co.uk>
>Sender: owner-pianotech@ptg.org
>Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
>
>Barrie Heaton wrote:
>> 
>> I agree with most of what you said but the issue on design should be
>> targeted to the higher end of the market where th4e future is for the
>> piano manufacturers.  The bread and butter end,  the masses are more
>> concerned with price rather than performance.
>> 
>> I don't know about the U.S. but here in the U.K. houses are getting
>> smaller and disposable income of the middle classes is deminishing.  The
>> electronic piano will fill the gap for the mass market.   Eventually
>> technology will find the answers to electronic keyboads shortfalls and
>> their price structure will make them a very desirable product. this will
>> inevetably be the final nail in the coffin for the cheap small piano and
>> possibly even the lower end of the secondhand market.  The middle and
>> upper ranges will have a future as there is always individuals who
>> prefer the real thing.
>> 
>> Of course, there could be a complete revival in years to come like in
>> the British beer industry in the late 60's all the breweries opted for
>> keg beer because it was cheaper tgo produce and had a longer shelf life
>> by the late 70's real ale was a rare commodity in the South of England
>> and hard to find in the North of England.  The real ale campaign was
>> born and it has been an impressive change around there isn't a pub now
>> in England who doesn't sell real ale so there may be a future for the
>> real piano.
>> 
>> Barrie.
>> 
>
>You're generally right about new design being aimed at the high end of
>the market, however I've found that, wihtin limits, good acoustic design
>doesn't cost any more to build that does bad acoustic disign. In other
>words, even a bad design is going to have strings, a bridge, a
>soundboard, a few ribs, etc. Those components might a well be the right
>size and in the right place. In the late 80's, one of my first jobs at
>Baldwin was to redesign their 45" studio. Sales were really down as
>buyers fled to the more attractive Japanese pianos. The redesigned scale
>fit on the same back, only very minor changes were made to the plate
>pattern, the thickness and grain angle of the soundboard was changed and
>two ribs were added. The cost of the new model went up by about $6.00.
>The performance was dramatically improved. Enough so to stop the decline
>in sales turn it to an increasing sales curve.
>
>Incidently, in my Journal article, I chose to describe a 42" vertical
>primarily because I don't care if the design is "borrowed" by some
>manufacturer who wants to cut out the "middleman," namely me. I would be
>quite surprised if I were ever hired to design, or even redesign,
>another 42" piano. I think you are correct about the future of the
>small, especially the cheap, piano. Eventually the electronics people
>will get it together.
>
>I was a bit dissapointed to learn that Herrberger Brooks had been bought
>out by Harmony. I've been trying to get information out of them about
>their new grand action. I've been considering using it in a piano I've
>been fussing with. Now I understand why it's been so difficult to get
>them to respond to my requests for information.
>
>The revival in the piano industry here has been, at least in part,
>through the sales of rebuilt older pianos. Sadly, it's one of the
>easiest ways a buyer has of getting a decent sounding piano.
>
>And, you have no idea how happy I am to hear that good ale is still
>available in England. I never doubted it. After all, Inspector Morse
>always seems to find a good pint or two when necessary. We're enjoying a
>bit of a brewing renaissance ourselves.
>
>Thanks for your interest.
>
>ddf
>
>
Earl S. Dunlap, Jr.
50 Timberland Drive
Riverside, R.I. 02915
dunlapesjr@JUNO.com