Sunday Thoughts

[Erwinspiano@aol.com]

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=20
Hey big Dave
   Merry Christmas & Gods blessing to your big heart. Your  Mercy & kindess=20
are truly a part of the Christmas story my  friend.
    Dale

Hey my  colleagues------


Just thought I=E2=80=99d share a little from the last  week.  I have a clien=
t, Don=20
Beamsley, who has been a well-known and  successful jazz player in SoCal=20
forever; he=E2=80=99s played with every big band  around, from Tommy Dorsey,=
 Horace Heidt,=20
Glenn Miller, Tex Beneke----the list  is endless; he was even the LA Dodger=20
organist for a while in the 60=E2=80=99s and  70=E2=80=99s.

So=E2=80=94he=E2=80=99s got a sweet Steinway B that he was given by his ment=
or, a  1930=20
instrument. It was maintained throughout its life by mostly 2 legendary =20
techs---first Cecil Short, the =E2=80=9Cman=E2=80=9D in the Pomona Valley fo=
r many years,a nd  then by=20
Norman Neblett, an LA denizen and Golden Hammer recipient.  I=E2=80=99ve  be=
en=20
maintaining the piano for the last 18 years.

Anyway, you know the  story---I=E2=80=99ve been nagging this guy for years t=
o do the=20
work:  the piano=E2=80=99s  got all original parts and strings, and he=E2=
=80=99s always used=20
the traditional  procrastinating musician=E2=80=99s excuses: =E2=80=9C I jus=
t can=E2=80=99t pull the=20
trigger now,  DA---I can=E2=80=99t be sure if I=E2=80=99ll work this strong=20=
next year, my wife
=E2=80=99s gig stopped  this year, I need a new roof---=E2=80=9Dwhatever. I=
=E2=80=99m a life-long=20
musician; I=E2=80=99ve used  them all.

He is so sweet, and so funny, and such a monstrously  beautiful player, and=20=
I=E2=80=99
m such a soft touch in a certain way, that I made it  no problem, and just=20
kept bringing the damn Protek ( the verdigris was out of  control on this pi=
g).

To make a long, long story very short, Don now  has Class 3 Parkinson=E2=80=
=99s=20
Disease, has for 2 years, has lost 90 pounds, and his  prognosis is delicate=
,  to=20
put it mildly.  But he still rolls  himself up to the piano and plays for an=
=20
hour or so every day.

So a  month ago I took his wife in the other room and just said now=E2=80=
=99s the=20
time,  sweetie, for the bullshit to cease and for us to do something. =20
So---because her cash flow at this point is questionable, we opted for  the=20=
battlefield=20
triage:
--Rebuilt keyframe: key bushing, underfelt,  backchecks and wires, clean and=
=20
polish rail pins and captstans and glides,  raise height and level keys
--repinned shanks, =E2=80=9Csmoked-out=E2=80=9D whippen  flanges
--new knuckles
--rebuilt pedals and pedal mod
--hammers filed  (very difficult and dicey)
--lift, level, seat strings
--COMPLETE action  regulation
--RP and tune

THANKS SO MUCH, MICHAEL CAMPI.  You  did a great job on the keyframe, pedals=
,=20
knuckles and shanks.

When I  FINALLY got the damn thing playing =E2=80=9Cright---=E2=80=9D and th=
at took almost 2=20
full  days---
Don rolled up and started playing; we were both crying.  He  loved it; he=20
called me =E2=80=9Ca friggin=E2=80=99 genius.=E2=80=9D

This is what I work for;  this is what I live for; I did the work at about=20
65% of what I would  ordinarily charge;
The money is NOT the payoff.

To bring love and  happiness to music lovers, music players, human beings=20
with sweet hearts and  beautiful intentions:  this is what this work is all=20
about.  I=E2=80=99m  feeling good.

My love and respect to all.....
David Andersen =20




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