SV: Recommend Rebuilder? / Ron Overs

[RicB]

Hi Ron

What an excellent post. I couldnt agree more if I tried a thousand years 
with what you outline below.  And I believe I have mentioned several 
times that I think highly of your practice of clearly marking and taking 
credit for your redesigning work. For the reasons you site below and 
because I think folks like yourself have every reason to be damned proud 
of what you do, and every reason for wanting your name right out there 
in clear view for folks to notice.  I thought your particular solution 
on the plate was very nicely done, appropriate and tasteful.

Once again I voice my encouragement for others engaging in this kind of 
work, which fwiw I admire, do the same.

As for your comments in response to Baolis...  I also agree.  There are 
a number of re-builders who are quite capable of doing a first class 
job. Some of these have spent time in the Steinway rebuilding shop 
themselves... Ed McMorrow comes to mind... I believe he was there for 
some time.  The choice here is not so much who does the work first and 
formost... but what kind of a rebuild one wants.  If you want to go as 
authentic in the eye of the market, and perhaps stay as close to 
tradition as possible.. then perhaps the Steinway rebuild shop is the 
place to go.  If you want a first class Steinway clone rebuild... there 
are several competent folks.... and if you want a total redesign... well 
there are folks out there like yourself who have shown quite clearly 
they are capable of putting out a top notch product with a beautiful 
voice, tone and performance all your own.  All these choices are valid 
ones in my mind.

Your closing statement shows class, and nothing but class.

Cheers and best regards
RicB


     >>Changing the soundboard and pinblock is a factory job when it comes
     >>to Steinway. In this case it is of great importance to use original
     >>parts to save the quality.

    Don't agree at all. Its a job for anyone who has the capability of
    doing it properly, whether modified or original in design.

     >>Mr Fenner in Germany once changed the soundboard and pinblock in a
     >>B grand to make it "better" and S&S put him to court for calling it
     >>a Steinway after the repair, so he had to change the name on the
     >>fallboard and hide the name on the frame.
     >>Now these B grands are sold under the name Fenner.
     >>
     >>baoli liu <baoli_liu at yahoo.com> skrev:


    He could have called them Fenner - Steinway which would be more to
    the truth than calling them straight Fenner.

    It seems as if Klaus might have done better, had he sought legal
    opinion. Rebuilding an instrument with modifications is illegal if
    all the original trademark and identity items remains the same. It is
    called "Passing off", and rightly so.

    I've been on the receiving end of letters from a certain manufacturer
    accusing me of Passing Off. But I replied inviting them to inspect
    the said piano, and to confirm that I had placed a transfer on the
    plate stating that the piano was modified. The claims of Passing Off
    evaporated.

    Here's a link to an image of the acknowledgment we placed on the circ
    1962 Steinway D we rebuilt for the Australian Broadcasting
    Corporation in 1992.

    http://members.optusnet.com.au/ronovers/abc.steinwayd.jpg

    For those who may be interested in the outside finish, it is the two
    pack automotive lacquer called 2K (jet black with 50% flatting base).
    We do our refinishing in house.

    Provided you explain what you propose to do to an instrument with the
    owner, and you have their permission, and provided that you place a
    transfer or sticker on the piano, placed in a conspicuous place on
    the instrument (doesn't have to be on the fallboard - on the plate
    will do), stating the changes you have made to the instrument, you
    will have nothing to fear.

    No one can sue you for telling the truth about an instrument which
    you have rebuilt. Furthermore, why on earth would you want to rebuild
    an instrument with modifications without including information about
    the work you performed? The results should be known to be your own
    work, for better or for worse.

    I wouldn't mind if someone modified one of my pianos, and long as
    they acknowledge what they did for all to see.

    We should all be prepared to stand by what we have done.

    Ron O.
    -- 
    OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY
        Grand Piano Manufacturers
    _______________________