Choosing to Condemn

[Farrell]

I only use the term "condemnation" on this list. I certainly don't use it in the field. "It's not worth putting the money into" (Not Worth It) or "I recommend replacement" (Replace) is what I will usually say.

These are the guidelines I follow: (The first centered NO and YES should really go on the same line - I broke it up so that it was not all scrambled when you read this post.)

After an appropriate level or repairs, will the piano be worth the cost of repairs? 

                                    NO

                  Is piano family heirloom, etc.

               NO                                       YES

Not Worth It - Replace       Owner must decide sentimental value 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                 YES

       Will repaired piano meet pianist's needs

        NO                                                    YES

    Replace                                         Repair Piano

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obviously, it is not quite as clear cut as I have presented it, but it does provide direction. But I have found there to be an abundance of good used pianos at very reasonable costs. I don't even play, but the difference in the way even a good condition 1985 Kimball/Baldwin console feels to play over a 1952 Gulbranson spinet or a 1907 Mayfield upright, is just night and day. Eighties consoles are available in excellent to very good condition for $400 from folks who don't know what they are worth, to $800/$1000 - the average asking price. At prices like these, it doesn't take many repairs to that old spinet or upright before it makes sense to look around for something better.

A useful thing I will tell a client with the old beater is: "You can spend $600 and get a very nice used console with very little wear that plays quite nicely, or you can spend $600 to put a series of Band-Aids on this old upright and have a hundred year old piano that functions, plays and sounds poorly, and 99.8% of its parts are still very near the end of their life span."

I don't like 15 year old Kimball consoles. But gosh, they play and sound like a dream compared to the old beaters. Think also about how discouraging it would be to play the old beater every day - especially for the youngster taking lessons.

Well, probably more than my 2 cents worth.

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Clyde Hollinger" <cedel@supernet.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2002 6:27 AM
Subject: Choosing to Condemn


> Friends,
> 
> Which criteria do you use when deciding to condemn a piano?  I always find this difficult, sometimes more difficult than others.  If I see the piano for the first time and it's 70+ years old, neglected for decades, shows terrific wear, bridle straps are mostly gone, wildly out of tune, several keys don't work, brass rail action and all
> beat up, then it's not as hard for me to say it's just not worth putting any more money into it.
> 
> But I condemned a piano yesterday (1907 Lester upright) that I've been servicing for eighteen years, back when I was starting in the business and would take on anything.  Often the middle-aged mother would tell me how she loved the piano.  It was pretty terrible to start with, since the now deceased piano technician did some weird
> things like gluing in several new hammers at strange angles and using twine for bridle straps.
> 
> Only the kids were home when I got there, so I didn't really tell her I condemned the piano.  I don't think I would have been able to; she was a voice student of mine back in 1975 when I taught high school.  Rather, I wrote on the invoice, "I recommend replacing the piano.  You may want to get a second opinion."
> 
> I still second-guess a condemnation I did on another old upright about a year ago.  The old grandmother lives with her daughter and still plays the piano.  It wasn't worth putting any money into, and I told them so.  Even trying to give it a rudimentary tuning was asking for trouble.  But I'm 99% sure that, given Grandma's age, they
> will not replace the piano.  She will just do the best she can with it for the rest of her years.  Sad.
> 
> Thoughts for softies like me (other than "get over it!")?
> 
> Regards,
> Clyde
> 
> Terry Farrell wrote:
> 
> > ... There are some baaaaaad pianos in this world my friend. And they never die......they just slowly disintegrate. And I think they approach the end asymptotically. The number of years they exist in an advanced state of wear and still get plunked every once in a while far exceeds the number of musical years.  Condemned two pianos
> > today....
> 
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