>Yes.... well now personally I am at the point where I think that all this is >getting way out of hand. To the point where things are becomming directly >midleading to both customers and technicians. These pianos are >simply not what >they are repesented to be, and more often then not bear absolutely >no semblance >to the origional make. Seems to me to be increasingly uncomfortably close to a >kind of fraud, and I am begginning to think its time to put a stop to all this >nonsense. Yes, but it "got way out of hand" a long long time ago. American-Aeolian started snapping up failing companies in the 20's & 30's, and slapping Hallet-Davis, Winter, and many other decals on less than "original design" spinet and console pianos. The various stencil pianos which came out of Memphis were pretty dismal, and some of the pianos from E. Rochester (the smaller consoles) weren't near the quality of original Chickerings, Knabes, and Mason & Hamlins. Yes, it's a problem, but not one invented by Asian piano manufacturers ... just continued to what are sometimes extreme cases. Sometimes they have been darn good: one of my customers has a 6' "Everett" built in Japan by Yamaha (ca. 1980?); another has a 5'plus "Story & Clark" grand, also made by Yamaha (1960-70s?); both of these are much better than any US made Everetts or Story & Clarks that I've ever worked on! The main problem is the gap between the marketing (will the salesman misrepresent the origin of the piano?) and the intelligence of the consumer (will he/she consult an RPT, or at least Larry Fine's book, before writing a check?). Patrick
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