recommendations for piano buyer

[Farrell]

"I would not mess with the tension resonator.  It is not designed to restore
crown ..."

Ditto.

"Investmentwise the M&H is a better investment.
Basic quality goes to the M&H also.
Rebuilt carefully the M&H will be a marvelous instrument...the asian piano
will always be what it is."

Ditto.

"Since you say that the tone is comparable on the new asian thingee and on
the
old wornout M&H and the prices are comparable I don't know if I would go so
far as to advise purchasing a new thingee over this old thingee...but than I
am not there and can't hear/see/feel the M&H."

Ditto, except that because of the age of the M&H and the general description
given, it sounds like the piano is worn out, and not one of those 1 in 100
old instruments that are actually in unusually good shape.

I think the answer is actually pretty simple. The piano teacher needs to
look down the road 10 years or so.

>From what you describe, the M&H is ready for complete rebuilding, including
board, now, or certainly within 10 years (my guess is that after she plays
it for a few weeks or months, she will agree). So the M&H will cost $10,000
plus the rebuilding cost (sounds to me like about $20,000, give or take
$5,000 depending on what you want to do with it). Does she want a world
class, hi-end instrument and is she willing to pay for it? If yes, then get
the M&H (although $10,000 for a salvage 5' 8" seems quite high).

If she can't tell the difference between a piano that Samick is ashamed to
put their name on and a good playing Baldwin, M&H, or Yamaha, and she only
has $10,000 to spend, then the no-name Asian piano is likely the way to go
(unless of course, you genuinely feel that the M&H IS one of those 1 in 100
old pianos that is in very good condition).

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Nereson" <dnereson@dimensional.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, July 16, 2001 9:58 PM
Subject: recommendations for piano buyer


> 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
>
>