When is a Steinway still a Steinway

[Kent Swafford]

Interesting discussion.

Where I come from. if I sell something, then it's _not mine anymore_ 
and I have no say in what is done to that particular piece of property. 
Steinway obviously has no say in what parts are put into pianos that 
are not owned by Steinway.

If it is within the rights of an owner to modify his Steinway, then all 
Steinways not owned by Steinway should be considered by potential 
buyers to have been modified, whatever that means. If one wants an 
officially-blessed-as-Steinway Steinway, then one should buy a Steinway 
from Steinway.

It would be an interesting challenge if one wanted to preserve the 
purity of one's officially-blessed-as-Steinway Steinway. Just as 
tunings deteriorate as time goes by, so does the piano itself. What to 
do, what to do! How would one be certain that needed tunings and other 
restorations are really real Steinway restorations? Maybe the only 
thing to do would be to purchase a new officially-blessed-as-Steinway 
Steinway 3 or 4 times a year.

Among the pianos that I service, the finest pianos are not 
officially-blessed-as-Steinway Steinways, but rather are Steinways that 
have been rebuilt by one particular local rebuilder with Ronsen 
hammers, Renner actions, Bolduc pinblocks, non-Sitka spruce 
soundboards, etc., but Steinway still gets the "credit" for these 
pianos since the Steinway name has not been removed. Steinway should be 
grateful; it is these restored pianos that help maintain Steinway's 
good brand name.

But that's just _my_ opinion.

Kent Swafford