recommendations for piano buyer

[Dave Nereson]

To the list in general:
    This appraising, evaluating, and recommending which piano to buy gets
sticky sometimes.  A long time piano teacher customer of mine is thinking of
buying a 1925 5' 8" Mason & Hamlin for around $9 or 10 thousand. It does
have a very nice tone, but there are 7 cracks in the soundboard (they don't
buzz; there's not much rib separation, they're not opened up, but they're
"there") and the board doesn't have any crown left.  (Has anybody ever
tightened the turnbuckles on the "spider", or tension resnator?  Does it
restore crown?  Or do you just not mess with it?).  The action's in pretty
good shape for its age, but I can see that after another filing or two,
it'll need new hammers, and probably in 10 or so years it'll also need
flange repinning, new knuckles or new shanks and flanges, and key rebushing.
Also it's got the two-piece jacks, some of which have been repaired or
reglued, so I know others will also start to click, break, or separate.  She
likes the tone, the touch, and the ivories, which are pristine.
    But for the same price ($10 K), she could get a brand new piano, even
though it's a Korean-made Kohler & Campbell.  To me, the tone isn't that
much different, and I checked the sustain time in the upper treble, and it's
about the same (5 seconds, holding the damper for that note up and plucking
one string).  It's a stiffer touch, being new, but that should loosen up
some with breaking-in.
    Even though the M&H is prestigious and might sort of retain its value
because of the name, it's already 75 years old and will need major action
work in the next 2 or 3 decades, whereas the new K & C will just need minor
stuff (light hammer filing, screw tightening, regulation touch-up, voicing)
and probably nothing major for at least 20 years.  And after that length of
time, the K & C will be worth maybe 2/3 what she paid for it while the M & H
will only be worth $5, 6, 7K (today's prices).  (?)
    Should I tell her to just buy the one she thinks sounds best in terms of
tone, or should I tell her you're always better off buying a brand-new
instrument, even if it's not a high-end brand?   Thanks for any
pinions.  ----  Vascillating,  --Dave Nereson, RPT, Denver