Falcone pianos

[Horace Greeley]

Marshall,

There is some additional information which might be useful in 
assessing how Falcone's fortunes unfolded.  Some comments interspersed:

At 12:03 AM 3/13/2007, you wrote:
>Hello list folks!
>
>Let me try to shed a bit of light about Falcone pianos.  Santi 
>Falcone began building pianos in his small shop in Massachusetts, 
>later moving to a larger facility which now manufactures Mason & 
>Hamlin pianos.
>
>His first accomplishment (I believe it was a 6'1" grand?) was 
>completed somewhere between 1984-1985. I was beginning my Music Ed. 
>degree at University of Lowell at the time, and became acquainted 
>with his workmanship when he loaned a concert grand to the 
>University-- hoping to get the pianos noticed, and build the 
>business within the musical community.  When I graduated in 1990, 
>the University had purchased one of all three models manufactured: 
>(6'1" in Prof. T. Stumpf's teaching studio, a 7'3" in the recital 
>hall, and a 9-foot concert piano in the main concert hall).  All had 
>one-piece ivory keys, Renner actions, and were rivals to any 
>Steinway that I've ever performed on, or serviced).   I  had the 
>opportunity to perform at the Falcone factory showroom in 1988- 
>along with my piano pedagogy instructor from the University, and a 
>few other select pianists.

Cool.

>
>  He (Santi Falcone) managed enough financial backing to purchase an 
> old shoe factory on Duncan Street in Haverhill, and continued 
> building very high-quality hand-manufactured pianos (serial #s 
> 1000- 1200) before a need for finances rendered him unable to 
> continue without taking the company "public".

Part of what may not be well known is that the first "factory" was 
actually not financed by Santi, himself.  Before 1989, he already had 
a silent partner.  When the time came to expand, that partner was 
either unwilling or unable to float the additional money...but, 
wait!, there's more:

>This is when a disasterous blow befell the company.  In need of 
>financing, Santi Falcone was "consumed", by  1% (51% ownership) in 
>1989 and offered the opportunity by its new owners to remain as a 
>"technician"-- destroying all his dreams of building instruments 
>that rival Steinway, Fazioli, and the other greats.

All of this is true.  It is also true that the primary reason that 
Santi ran into trouble as a manufacturer is that his instruments took 
an inordinately long period of time to build.  Start to finish, his 
concert grands were taking up to 700 hours each at a time when S&S 
was under 200 hour per unit.  Please note that I am _not_ saying that 
the final product was not worth the effort...far from it.  What I 
_am_ saying is that he ran afoul of basic economics of 
manufacture.  Specifically, he was trying to run a manufacturing 
company like high-end atelier-style, custom rebuilding shop.

>You may know the name of the people involved in the " takeover"-- 
>The Burgett brothers--renowned builders of Piano Disc. Falcone would 
>never again build the fine pianos that once graced the stages of New 
>England Conservatory's Jordan Hall, The Claremont Opera House, and 
>several Universities and institutions of musical learning.  I wasn't 
>present at the signing of paperwork, I am relying on trade/business 
>magazines, as well as newspapers (which I have retained copies of) 
>naming the Burgetts as the purchasers of the company.
>
>The Falcone name was now 'someone else's' property, and the line was 
>phazed out- with a concentration focused on reviving the Mason & 
>Hamlin line- attempting to build to the original scale designs set 
>forth.  Members of the Boston PTG may remember chapter meetings at 
>the Falcone Showroom near Steinert & Sons-- where the revival of M&H 
>was first introduced??!!

While I do disagree with the Burgett's decision to terminate 
manufacture of the Falcone, here again, it is a question of 
economics.  This time, not so specifically those of manufacturing as 
of name recognition.  While the M&H name still carried/carries a good 
deal of panache, unless one was familiar with Falcone instruments, 
they were just another three-legged box.  What would have been lovely 
would have been to meld the best aspects of the two designs.

>After having built some marginal grands, the name was sold (yet 
>again) and now is made in Asia.  This is a sad footnote in the 
>history of a company that had SO much potential to really give 
>Steinway a serious 'run' for its money. I tuned a 'vertical' falcone 
>(P.S.O.) and was horrified even more than when I tuned a 5'8" grand 
>which is equally inept in design and musical abilities.  It seems 
>now that the name will remain only as that associated with 
>asian-made garbage, and hardly remembered for what Mr. Falcone 
>originally set out to build.

Which is part of the moral of the story: Be careful to whom you give 
or sell your name.

Given recent product introductions, it is not impossible for the mind 
of conceive of the "Fostle" model computer-enhanced 
hearing-assistance system, custom designed to replicate for 
contemporary folks the alleged hearing difficulties of the original 
Steinways.   (Note that my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek.)

>Although I've probably encountered more of these instruments than 
>most, I readily admit that there were some design issues.  Albeit, I 
>will ALWAYS, and do own one.  I still won't regulate mine (#1132) 
>without the supervision of the former quality control manager from 
>the company, who became my mentor as a rebuilder-- long after I 
>bought my piano.  After 25 years as a piano tuner tech., tuner, and 
>rebuilder, I can regulate any piano (Steinways, M&H, Bossen.. etc. ) 
>but truly value the instrument that I feel blessed to own and want 
>to insure that it retains the glorious action that convinced me to 
>trade my Steinway 'A' to get-- amid paying tuition to finish my 
>first degree in Music.
>
>If you have the opportunity to ever meet a REAL Falcone, you'll 
>immediately notice the difference between the it and the stencils 
>now being made.  It is important to know that the real, original 
>pianos have serial #'s of 1,200 and lower- yes, if you were reading 
>carefully, there are only 200 REAL ones.

I do have to agree here.  Over time, I have had six or seven of these 
under my care and thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of them.

Ah...yes...before I forget, Ric wrote:

"...but its stories like these that make me understand why there are 
such a thing as socialists in this world !"

There is a reasonable chain of history which suggests the possibility 
that part of the reason that the Steinways came to the U.S. had to do 
with involvement in the socialist movement in the Germany of the mid-19th Cent.

More later.

Best.

Horace





>I gladly welcome anyone within driving distance to New Bedford, 
>Massachusetts to contact me and come play this 
>instrument.  Incidently, I still own an Steinway, and a 1922 
>Chickering quarter-grand with an Ampico (I hope to rebuild soon.... 
>a new acquisition) that I teach on.  I'm not a pianistic snob.  I 
>just love my instrument.  Although I love Steinways, I have a 
>special place in my heart for the Falcone piano! I don't let 
>students touch it.  I use it only for practice, performance, and 
>recording purposes.  Come one, come all players to enjoy a REAL 
>Falcone.  I'd certainly welcome anyone to my shop, and give other 
>techs. a chance to see what a REAL Falcone is all about.  It's 
>nearly 20 years old now, and everything about this piano is as solid 
>as the day that it was delivered.
>
>Respectfully Submitted,
>Marshall A. Connolly, Jr.
>a/k/a/ <mailto:falcone1132 at tmlp.com>falcone1132 at tmlp.com
>Connolly's Center for Piano Wellness
>496 Nash Road
>New Bedford, MA  02746
>(508) 984-0800
>
>To: <mailto:pianotech at ptg.org>Pianotech List
>Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 8:53 PM
>Subject: Re: Question about new pianos
>
>The one Falcone I've encountered offered a less-than-optimal 
>experience from my perspective. Due to numerous unspecified 
>problems, Schmitt Music (large dealer here in Twin Cities) has quit 
>carrying them in favor of resurrecting the Cristofori name, mfr'd in 
>China to Schmitt's specs.
>
>On 3/12/07, RicB <<mailto:ricb at pianostemmer.no>ricb at pianostemmer.no> wrote:
>While I'd agree that a new piano should not have problems of the sort
>you mention,  I dont know if I'd agree with the statement that lack of
>experience with a piano brand, or lack of these being well known to the
>public at large is any dependable criteria for judging the quality of
>the instrument.
>
>I have never run into a Falcone myself.  I remember when they were first
>brought to my attention in the early 90's when I was in Seattle for a
>couple years... they were touted as being the piano to replace
>Steinway.... and by some folks I respect.  Yet, true to form I register
>these kinds of comments and stay open minded both ways... because when
>it comes right down to it,  if yas donts knows yas donts knows.
>
>Cheers
>RicB
>
>
>     My best guess is that you're right - -if the pins seemed loose or
>     jumpy,
>     then they were loose and jumpy. There's no excuse for the pins in a
>     new piano to
>     be this way. In all my years in business - -27 --- I never
>     came across a Falcone piano - -there must be a reason. I guess if
>     the brand
>     were a really good one, it would be popular and lots of people would
>     own them,
>      like Yamaha, Kawai, etc.
>
>     Jesse Gitnik
>
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