low quality, and high quality

[Mark Bolsius]

Hi Antares, Deb, Ron and list

Interesting thread........a moral dilemma.

How we all choose to run our businesses is up to the individual.

I'm with Antares. I'm working towards that ideal. High end pianos provide
their own hassles and stress. It's just that they are at a level that I find
stimulating. 

We should all be building our businesses towards a certain niche that gives
us the "buzz". Some get it from almost any piano that offers a
challenge....PSO or otherwise.....others get it from very specific things.
If we live in a market that offers us the chance to specialise..fantastic!

Vive la difference!

Mark Bolsius
----------
From: "Antares" <antares@EURONET.NL>
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: low quality, and high quality
Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 3:01 AM


In the past, I have worked for many years on countless low prized, and very
badly made instruments. Most of these came from factories in former
communist countries, one (an unfortunate experiment with plastics) from the
country I live in, and some others from the US.
I had no choice, I needed money to eat.
Those long years were quite an education and the experience has tought me,
amongst others, that working with high quality, and thus much better
instruments, makes life pleasant and improves the knowledge of tone and
touch.
Because of my long standing experience with "trash pianos", and because of
the stress and frustration caused by these, I have also learned to first ask
a calling customer what kind of
instrument we are talking about before going out and doing the piano work,
what ever it is.
To those who now might think that I am maybe picky and arrogant, I say : I
love to
work with really well made, beautiful instruments of high class, and I have
absolutely made it my goal to keep it that way. 

Antares

PS.
This is my personal opinion addressed to this open forum called "pianotech
list". To other opinions I look forward, they are almost always positive and
welcome. 
Nasty, personal and "narrow minded" criticism or abusive commentary, I will
consider an insult to quality, and it will find a quick way into the trash
can, so that those deleted electrons can be used for a hopefully more
positive
purpose.




> <<regulation is not something I 
> >identify vertical Kimballs as being subjected to in any great detail, at 
>the 
> >factory. >>
> 
>I suppose this means, in your exalted opinion, that *all* Kimballs left the

>factory without being regulated?
>
>I worked for a Kimball dealer for many years and never saw one piano that
had 
>not been regulated.  I was trained at the factory where I benefited 
>immeasurably from the enormous amount of knowledge and skill that I learned

>there and still make use of today.  In fact, I learned there some of my
most 
>valuable *regulating* techniques I know  by watching factory regulators 
>*regulating* and by practicing those skills myself under the supervision of

>helpful and encouraging instructors.
>
>This is the kind of remark that belongs on Ralph's Loser List, not here.  
>There, you can receive all of the support you need and want for trashing
the 
>reputation of a piano which you never learned how to handle.  You will be 
>seen as a person of great wisdom and judgment for such a statement there
but 
>here, such a remark will be seen for what it is, something which wastes 
>"bandwidth", as they say and drags down the dignity of the entire piano 
>service industry.
>
>To all those who would gladly accept work on a Kimball in order to earn a 
>living:  It is a fine example of American craftsmanship on which you can 
>practice your most basic skills, earn good money and have a happy and 
>grateful customer.  Indeed, there are some aspects of the way Kimball
pianos 
>were constructed that make them some of the most resilient to harsh
treatment 
>and conditions of any pianos ever built.
>
>Whenever you see someone on this List declare that *all* pianos of any
given 
>type or manufacturer are beneath the dignity of a piano technician to work 
>on, delete that person's remarks and remind yourself that the only reason
to 
>make such remarks is to cover up a profound sense of insecurity, ignorance 
>and lack of skill. 
>
> That person is trying to win your admiration by making it seem that he/she

>is so highly skilled, gifted and privileged, that it would be beneath
his/her 
>dignity to *stoop* to the level on which *you* work hard and *earn* your 
>living.  He/she wants to give you the impression that he/she only has time
to 
>work on the very finest pianos.  But,  if ordinary tasks on ordinary pianos

>are too difficult, you can be sure that person can't handle those
procedures 
>on a fine instrument either.  The truth is that person cannot do the work
and 
>wishes life presented easier hurdles. 
>
>Then, proceed down the List until you find the proper response to the issue

>at hand.  Eventually, that person will either leave the List or stop
writing 
>material that is contrary to your way of life.
>
>Sincerely,
>Bill Bremmer RPT
>Madison, Wisconsin
>