This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment That's how companies improve their product. The masses say "hey, time = to move on to a better product We're no going to buy that brand = anymore." So the manufacturer says "hey, we need to upgrade our product = to stay in the game", and thus innovation and enterprise move forward. = Can you visualize NEW 1960's vintage televisions and stereo equipment in = stores because RCA sunk every bit of their R&D capital into marketing = instead? Can you imagine what it would be like if Ford continued to = produce the 1970s Maverick today because they insisted that it was a = superior product? Unfortunately the American auto industry did just = that for many years while Japanese companies poured far better and = efficient cars onto the market. It took them YEARS to figure out that = times had changed. It was almost fatal as their stocks plummeted and = Chrysler was forced into bankruptcy. To prop up their product line they = were forced to buy imported vehicles and put their own names on them, = (remember the Chevy "Luv" and the Ford "Fiesta"?) You know, kind of = like uh... Boston. Of course this isn't a new concept. The Chevy S-10 = and Mitsubishi's pick-up are the same vehicle with a different grill and = dashboard and come from the same factory in Shreveport Louisiana. = Likewise Baldwin bought the Wurlitzer name and perpetuated it by = commissioning Samick to build pianos that say "Wurlitzer" on them. A = simple matter of economics. On the flip side however the REAL = competitors are the ones who continue to develop their product. Kawai = doesn't make the KG-2 anymore. Yamaha doesn't make the G-3 anymore. = They realized that the time for these pianos had come and gone and it = was time to move on. Thus we come to your comment "how long it will be until our communal = efforts will finally and fatally injure the reputation of Steinway with = the resultant demise of yet another of Americas remaining piano = manufacturing companies." Continuing to say that Steinway's pianos are = superior in order to "protect" them isn't the answer. Sooner or later- = maybe not tomorrow, maybe not for many more years, but certainly someday = all the marketing in the world isn't going to change the reality that = they are antique reproductions. Again no disrespect to Steinway, but = there is a reality here. How many more years will dealer sales people = have to give the speech about how Steinways are an "investment" and will = be worth more in five years from now because the cost of their = production continues to go up without regard to wear, tear, and = depreciation? (I would love to hear an economics professor analyze that = argument sometime). While there may be some limited truth to that, how = many more years will it be before Steinway says, "hey, if Henry Steinway = was alive today what would he do?"=20 Well the original topic of Boston pianos has now LONG been lost in this = tangent. Just something to think about. Rob Goodale, RPT Las Vegas, NV From: Richard Brekne=20 story Robert. While I suppose to some degree most of us tend to = aggree in part at least with your sentiments... I have to wonder how = long it will be before our communal efforts will finally and fatally = injure the reputation of Steinway with the resultant demise of yet = another of Americas remaining piano manufacturing companies.=20 But I did enjoy your story :)=20 --=20 Richard Brekne=20 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/44/1c/09/13/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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