Comments interspersed below: Terry Farrell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alan R. Barnard" <mathstar@salemnet.com> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Sunday, September 22, 2002 5:56 PM Subject: Re: Franz Mohrs Credibility, was ETDS > Which ETD's were in common use when he made that statement? If it was old > strobes or early tuna-scopes I could better understand his feelings. Two to three years ago. Just before the Accutuner III came out. The SAT II and RCT had been out for years. But I don't have a hard time thinking that he has seen many "tooners" using an "early tuna-scope" (cute!) and hence might acquire an attitude. Again, I was suggesting that he might be a tad behind the times. > Also, I imagine that even an (forgive me aural-only people) "old school" > tuner like Mr. Mohr would be appalled if people relied on ETDs to the > exclusion of really having the skills to hear, understand, and feel the > complexities of tuning and, therefore, have the ability to make intelligent > decisions and subtle corrections even with the best ETD in hand. Again, my reason for citing Mr. Mohr was that it was an unqualified "throw the bum out!" I believe that would include Dr. Sanderson, Jim Coleman, Dean Rayburn, etc. And keep in mind also, that he was not speaking to an audience of professional musicians - just run-of-the-mill piano owners. > If he ever tuned for Millie's Grandma in West Treestump, Missouri it was a > loooong time ago. As I understand it, he was a big piano, concert tuner, > almost exclusively, and also almost exclusively Steinway. I know that he > tuned the Small European A-A temperament which he laid out in 4ths and 5ths. > I'll bet he could do it in his sleep with one ear tied behind his back! No doubt. And no doubt it had been a few years since his last Betsy Ross. > Anyway, he earned the right to be fussy and particular--it's what his > position demanded of him. But when I am an hour late getting to Millie's > Grandma' 1947 Gulbransen spinet I, for one, am mighty grateful to own some > spinning lights! Be careful you "bum", or you might get "thrown out"! > > It's all perspective. > > My thoughts ... > > Alan R. Barnard > Salem, MO > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no> > To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Sunday, September 22, 2002 1:20 PM > Subject: Franz Mohrs Credibility, was ETDS > > > > Farrell wrote: > > > > > Franz Mohr on ETDs. > > > > > > Question from the piano-consumer audience: "My piano technician uses an > electric box while tuning my piano. Is this good?" > > > > > > Franz Mohr's response: "Throw the bum out. Thrrrrroooowww him out!" > (Statement made with lots of sweeping hand/arm/body motions.) > > > > > > Any further questions? > > > > Fact, Franz Mohr was Vladimir Horowitz's personal piano technician for 40 > years. Flew all over the world with him on concerts. And Horowitz wasnt his > only such client. Regardless of what you might want to read into his lack of > respect for ETD's (which I might add is following the Steinway line), you do > not > > discount a fellow who has this kind of experience with this kind of > customer for so many years. Not unless you are very foolish. > > > > Now that doesnt mean you swallow every word he says as Big "G's" holy > gospel either... that would be going from one extreme to the other. :) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Terry Farrell > > > > > > > -- > > Richard Brekne > > RPT, N.P.T.F. > > UiB, Bergen, Norway > > mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no > > http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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