The Trouble with Trebels

[Tony Caught]

Trebel is indeed a piano made in the Philippines.

Unfortunately, most of the piano built in the Philippines used local timbers
that were not properly seasoned.  The iron frames were also cast in the
factory premises. Actions where partly made in their factory and partly
bought in.

Trebel also made electronic keyboards, organs and other instruments.

I believe the factory closed down 4 or so years ago.

there were 5 piano manufacturers in the Philippines, now, I have been told
that none are being made locally and that all the remaining piano shop
chains are now importing all the pianos.

My own experience with the Philippine pianos is that the workmanship is as
poor as the materials used. In Darwin, we had a local piano shop importing
these pianos and as the story goes "Maybe if you planted the piano it would
grow a new piano" the timber was so green in one of them, it started
sprouting.

Hope that answers your question

Regards
Tony Caught ICPTG
Australia
caute@optusnet.com.au

----- Original Message -----
From: <DGPEAKE@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 27, 2000 2:27 PM
Subject: The Trouble with Trebels


> Dear Friends and Fellow Technicians,
>
> Today I serviced a Trebel Studio for a Philippine family.  It has parts
from
> Germany, but they claim it was assembled in the Philippines. I did not see
it
> listed in the piano atlas.
>
> I gave it a 60 cents pitch raise, and a fine tuning. Several of the
hammers
> were not lined up,  bumping with the neighbors and the flange screws
> (philips) were loose.  Many of the tuning pins were loose and almost did
not
> hold a pitch. The regulation was poor and the case in my opinion was
poorly
> made.
>
> She asked me why the piano had these problems. My first thought is that it
> could be a design flaw. Or that she had it shipped from the Phillipines
and
> the difference in humidity could cause the problems.
>
> Have any of you ever serviced this brand of piano? Did you have the same
> results? What is your opinion of them?  This inquiring mind wants to know.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Dave Peake, RPT
> Portland Chapter
> Oregon City, OR
>
>