steinway

[David ilvedson]

If all else fails buy the piano for the $1500.00 :}

David ilvedson

> From:          "James Grebe" <pianoman@inlink.com>
> To:            "pianotech mailing list" <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Subject:       steinway
> Date:          Wed, 11 Nov 1998 19:17:34 -0600
> Reply-to:      pianotech@ptg.org

> 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
> 
> 
> 
David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA
ilvey@jps.net