Old uprights - think twice?

[Robin Blankenship]

Is there any chance that if enough of us tell enough of them (customers,
owners, askers of questions, etc) about the potential musical and monetary
value of the "old upright" that they may really be a bit of renewed
interest? I'm restringing one next month, on the basis that, aside from
rusty wire and marginally firm tuning pins, the piano is still a piano and
has an unusually pleasing tone, not overworked action, etc. Maybe customers
DO ask about the worthwhileness of salvaging their old upright. Maybe we
could do more to cast a positive light on the outcome. We ARE carrying a
brief for music in general. No need to apologize for loving the objects of
our attention. Everybody knows that everybody knows that Steinways are
wonderful, sight unseen (a mere reciting of the opinions of the vast
majority of customers, not necessarily my own!). What they don't know is
that there were many other brands that were pretty darned good, too. And,
the ocassional individual piano of whatever brand that defies logic and
sounds great on its own!

In short, I have a hunch that "their day will come". We can help that along,
if we so choose. Is there perhaps a silent desire in us (some of us, that
is) that would rather have the chance to display our finest tuning skills,
regulation tweaking knowledge, and latest voicing insight on a modern,
high-end instrument where every little bit of finesse is called for, than
have to re-use those early learned tasks (key bushing, stringing, basic
regulation, reshaping hammers, etc) which we feel we have somehow "out
grown"? This is NOT a criticism or a put down. Just a question.

As essentially a field tech in an essentially rural area, I seen a lot of
old uprights. The conversation with the owner usually arrives at THE
question: "What is the piano worth". Ah, ha!! That's our cue.

What, dear list, is our collective judgement on how to answer?

Robin Blankenship

----- Original Message -----
From: <JIMRPT@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2000 8:14 AM
Subject: Re: Old uprights - think twice?


> Clyde wrote;
> <<"Should we show these old beasts more respect?">>
>
> Clyde;
>  The short answer is yes.
> The long answer is yes but.................who is going to pay for it?
> Most of the rewhatevering being done is being done to grands...Why?
because
> people are willing to pay for it. Uprights, regardless of their quality,
are
> not regarded in the same light in terms of value received. I would not
mind
> rewhatevering more of the old thingees but...verrry few want to discuss
it,
> much less pay for it. Until the economics of this proposition turn around
it
> will be a 'neglected' class of pianos in terms of rewhatevering.
> My view.
> Jim Bryant (FL)