Kimball La Petite

Tvak@aol.com Tvak@aol.com
Sun, 14 Mar 2004 08:40:38 EST


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In a message dated 3/13/04 11:21:18 PM, tomtuner@comcast.net writes:


>=20
> In this case I=E2=80=99d tactfully attempt to find out what the selling pr=
ice was.
>  If the piano is meeting his needs and the price was low, I=E2=80=99d prob=
ably keep=20
> my opinion to myself.
>=20

He paid $4,000 for it.   He is not really happy with it.   He used to have a=
=20
Hyundai studio console, and the truth is, it sounded better than the LaPetit=
e.=20
  (I'd bet the bass strings were actually longer on the Hyundai.)   He asked=
=20
me if there was anything I could do to improve the sound of the piano (besid=
e=20
tuning it).   I did voice the hammers along the tenor break for a smoother=20
transition, but talk about polishing up a turd...=20

I specifically asked him if it was a new piano because it didn't look new to=
=20
me.   The bass strings had some discoloration.   The hammers had grooves in=20
them, but he has had the piano for at least 6 months, and although they look=
ed=20
pretty "groovy" for six months of playing, I thought it was within the realm=
 of=20
possibility.   There was no serial number on the plate that I could see, so=20=
I=20
couldn't verify the age of the piano.

Another unusual thing about this LaPetite:   there was a gap of at least an=20
inch between the stretcher and the plate which was shimmed with 4 pieces of=20
plywood at three points along the gap. I do tune two other LaPetites and I n=
ever=20
noticed anything like this, and I think I would have noticed.   I don't=20
believe this was done in the factory, due to the irregular shapes of the ply=
wood=20
shims.   They look like they were put in there in haste.   You can't see the=
m due=20
to the design of the music desk which completely covers the entire area when=
=20
the piano is assembled.  =20

Of course, being blind, he wouldn't be able to see them anyway...

Any more advice on this subject?

Thanks,=20
Tom Sivak
Chicago

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