steinway

[Joe & Penny Goss]

James,
It most definitely smells of self interest. Good thing someone has a good
code of ethics to guide them.  <G>
Joe Goss

----------
> From: James Grebe <pianoman@inlink.com>
> To: pianotech mailing list <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Subject: steinway
> Date: Wednesday, November 11, 1998 6:17 PM
> 
> 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
>