steinway

[James Grebe]

Several weeks ago I had a regular client call me about her 'M".  It seems
that she was having her upstairs bathroom redone and you know what happened
and where the water went already.  I restrung, repinned and various other
things to the piano before she bought it in the early '70's and have tuned
it for her ever since.  She had the local Steinway dealer (the owner, not
his technician) come out before me and of course he told her the piano
should be totaled and that she should go for a new instrument with the
insurance company (s) paying the bill., the plumbers.
    When I came out to look at it I made my notes and told her it should be
restrung, etc, and when I had the plate out make the decision to replace or
not replace the block depending on what the water did.  The case was fairly
damaged and she said that the insurance probably would not pay for a
complete refinishing so I quoted her a figure for refinishing the stretcher
and rubbing out the rest of the case.  Later her husband called me and
wanted to know why I didn't quote a price for complete refinishing and I
told him that his wife said not to.  I would have referred that part out.
    About a week after that she called again saying that the plumber wanted
2 other bids so I gave her two of my competitors names.  Today, the owner of
the Steinway store calls me and basically said that he had told the adjuster
that the piano was totaled and needed a new soundboard and most everything
else or it would not be a good piano again.  He was talking like he wanted
me to repeat what he had told me to the adjuster., I hate that.  So I called
my client and let her know what he had told me.  Here was his plan.  He was
calling the piano salvaged at $1500 and valuing the piano at $18,000 before
the water damage to be collected from the plumbers insurance.  This piano is
an early 1920's vintage.  Then the owners homeowners policy would kick in
and pay to $18,000 to get them a new M from his store.
     To my knowledge the owner of the Steinway store has still not had a
technician look at this piano.  The other competitor she called is on this
list.  So what my question is, is this.  It used to be said that Steinway
would not rebuild their own instruments older than 50.  I'm thinking now
that me this was never so.  If it was and is, when did that policy change?.
I wonder how piano store owners can accumulate all this much more knowledge
than technicians and come out as the ultimate authority.  This whole deal is
starting to smell to me.  What do you think.
James Grebe
R.P.T. of the P.T.G
pianoman@inlink.com
Creator of Handsome Hardwood Caster Cups and Practical Piano Peripherals in
St. Louis, MO