Rant was Re: Kimball Whitney

[Wimblees@aol.com]

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In a message dated 1/6/03 9:21:52 AM Central Standard Time, RNossaman@cox.net 
writes:

> It was my impression 
> that the whole point of asking was to avoid making an ignorant mistake and 
> wasting what little money they had on something utterly useless to them. 
> Sure, the Whitney will probably do what they need, if it doesn't need that 
> semitone pitch raise, regulation, and grommet replacement that will likely 
> more than double the original purchase price that they could barely afford 
> when they were shopping.

Ron

If you read my post, I said if the piano is in tune, and has been maintained, 
then it is a good buy. I never said anything about buying a piano sight 
unseen, much less inspected. Obviously if the grommets are bad, the hammers 
are worn, and the keybed is warped, the piano has not been maintained, and 
there is something drastically wrong with the piano. Then the piano should 
not be bought. 

By the same token, if someone wants to buy a Steinway L for only $2,000, 
because that is all they can afford, is it a good buy, and are they getting a 
bargain? (assuming the reason it is only $2000 is because everything is shot, 
and the piano needs $20,000 worth of work). Of course not. They would be 
better off buying a good used console. 

While we're on this subject I need to say this about the price of pianos, and 
what we, as technicians, think about the quality of pianos. One of these 
months there will be an article in the Journal where I talk about "entry 
level" pianos, and what influence they have had on the piano playing public 
for the last 125 years. Not every piano has to be at concert level. There is 
a big need for entry level pianos. We need to recognize that. We need to 
understand that some people can only afford $500 for a used piano. So we need 
to be find a piano that is still functioning. We should also know the 
difference between a "playable" piano, and a piano that is beyond repair. In 
this economy, I think there are still pianos out there for $500 that fits the 
"playable" condition definition. Maybe not for an advanced player, but 
certainly for the entry level person. 

I think it is wrong for us, as a profession, to condemn a brand or style of 
piano, because it doesn't meet our definition of what is a "playable" piano. 
As it says in our code of ethics, we need to keep the best interest of the 
client in mind. As long as the piano plays correctly, and can be tuned, and 
stay there for a relatively long period of time, (no slipping pins or cracked 
bridges), then it should be considered a "playable" instrument. 

End of rant.

Wim 

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