rescaling

[Robert A. Anderson]

About Phil's comments: I personally would like to make the pianos I
service sound and play as well as possible. I don't see why I would want
to make sure that a piano remained a "Steinway" or any other brand name
just for the sake of a supposed authenticity. If I were manufacturing
pianos, I can see how I might be inclined in that direction for the sake
of marketing. But I'm not, so the notion that changing anything about a
piano is bad because it would no longer be what it started out as is not
a useful notion to me.

Beyond the original design of the piano, which may or may not call for
improvement, the actual manufacture of the piano is another thing. It
would be a mistake to confuse the plan for a piano with the execution of
that plan. I have observed executions (no pun intended) of designs that
are pretty grotesque(the executions, I mean). This includes Steinways.
This doesn't single out Steinways, but their factory workers are human
just like factory workers everywhere. Henry Steinway characterized his
factory workers this way (during a strike threat): "Fire them and hire
400 other swine."

Anyway, as I see it, the bottom line in fine piano restoration shouldn't
have anything to do with emotional attachments to "brand names." We all
have our institutional prejudices, but they shouldn't interfere with the
work we do.

Bob Anderson
Tucson, AZ