Steinway

[Terry Sheetz]

I received the following information from a former Steinway
administrative employee, upon sharing the prior posts with him:

The truth is:  Steinway had to move the casting process out of New York
to comply with the EPA.
Steinway currently owns the casting company in Ohio.  Steinway also owns
Kluge, the manufacturer
of the keys and keyframes and even some of the forests that the wood is
harvested from!

The only thing they do not manufacture for example are:  Certain
hardware
items, screws, strings, tuning pins, felt etc....these items of course
fall
under the basic category of supplies.

Terry Sheetz
New Brighton, MN
Associate (planning RPT exam completion--2 to go)





               Farrell wrote:

                > My thoughts on "We want Steinway parts only".
                >
                > Pound for pound, the pre-1950 Steinways coming out of
top
rebuilding shops
                > with Renner/Abel action parts and Stanwood
modifications,
Bolduc/Gravagne
                > soundboards, custom made bridges, Sanderson bass
strings,
etc. have more
                > Steinway parts than Steinways coming from the Steinway

factory since about
                > 1950. At least those rebuilt Steinways have a Steinway

plate (cast in the
                > Steinway factory). Post-1950 factory Steinways have
aftermarket plates (made
                > in Springfield, Ohio). A pre-1950 rebuilt Steinway has

perhaps 900 lbs. of
                > "Genuine Steinway Parts". A post-1950 factory Steinway

has, what, about 500
                > lbs. of "Genuine Steinway Parts". Someone should call
'em
on this one!
                >
                > I hate Steinway's marketing department. How do they
sleep
at night?
                >
                > Terry Farrell
                > Piano Tuning & Service
                > Tampa, Florida
                > mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
                >
                > ----- Original Message -----
                > From: <A440A@AOL.COM>
                > To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
                > Sent: Friday, April 27, 2001 5:49 AM
                > Subject: Re: Steinway Policy.. was grafs.
                >
                > > Richard writes:
                > > <<This year he was to take the round on only
                > > one concert grand piano.. I am to do to the other
one.... his reaction
                > > was...well uncomfortable to put it that way. >>
                > >
                > >      A State University here in Tennessee recently
had
Steinway send a man
                > > down to rehammer a D that was here.  Their local
tech
had already done
                > this
                > > once and they weren't happy about it.   The Steinway

tech arrived, spent a
                > > day installing pre-hung hammers, regulated and
voiced
the instrument and
                > > left.
                > >     The factory's bill to the school was for $6,000.

They are still not
                > > happy with the piano and I told them that I thought
the
soundboard was
                > > defective, but they should try a few Renner hammers
in
the problem section
                > > and see if it was a hammer problem or
soundboard/sounding structure.  What
                > > was the reaction?
                > >      "Ooooh, no, we want Steinway parts, only!"
                > >      My response?  "Well then, there is no problem
here,
you already have
                > > Steinway parts installed by a factory Steinway
technician!".
                > >    They are now considering a change of philosophy,
and
have asked me to
                > > completely restore an older A that they were
planning on
sending back to
                > the
                > > factory for the full treatment.  Steinway and Sons
doesn't really seem to
                > > care about customer service, sadly.   Even after the

large number of
                > pianos I
                > > have had sent there for board replacement, I don't
get
calls returned.  Go
                > > figure.
                > > REgards,
                > > Ed Foote RPT
                > >