fully disclosed Yamaha lover questions Petrof

[Billbrpt@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 8/13/99 3:30:15 PM Pacific Daylight Time, mikep@crt.com 
writes:
 
<<Some of these arguments that you give for Yamaha seem the same as what I
heard from the Yamaha salesman I spoke to. >>

Listen to Del and Jim (believe it or not, in my opinion, Jim has never given 
more wise or appropriate advice).  The Yamaha is without question a fine make 
of piano and the company that makes them a shining example of leadership in 
the industry.

But your side of the story is not wrong either nor is the price difference 
unimportant, especially if you have decided that you *like* that piano.  I 
really think it is destructive to the entire industry to talk in 
generalizations about the perceived negative qualities of any make or kind of 
piano.  Surely, there are some that a lot of people may think deserve bashing 
but it does no good to do this.

It would be much better to address such problems in a matter of fact way, 
such as a "unusually high occurrence of..." or  "...a typical defect found in 
models XX of brand X from 19XX to 19XX. Citing the problems in a technically 
methodical way rather than using the easy but eventually meaningless acronyms 
such as PSO (Piano Shaped object) and other generalizations that simply are 
not true would serve everyone much better.  To an outsider like you, I would 
think that would give you a negative impression of us.

Once you find out the meaning of the often used acronym, you might well 
conclude that many of us view most of the instruments we work on with 
disdain.  Now, I know this is not really true but I am afraid of the 
potential impression it may give to outsiders.  I know that no one used it 
here either but the effect really of comparing the two pianos as a salesman 
would on a technical problems and services list like this one is to pit one 
manufacturer against the other in a time when we really do need to all stick 
together, respect and support each other in our efforts.

If you asked ten technicians to rate independently which piano, the Yamaha or 
the Petrof as the better buy for you and the majority, say 6 or more said 
that the Yamaha was "better" (which I think might be likely), but after 
carefully considering
the criteria that they used versus your own gut feeling about the piano, that 
you *like* it, you like its tone, looks and touch, you think you can live 
with that and love
it every time you see it in your living room for the many years to come, and 
last, but not least, it is one you can afford, then you should buy the Petrof.

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin