Bass Bridge Position-upright

[Fenton Murray]

Yea Ron, I know,
Out here when Grandma dies and she leaves her house it is worth 7 hundred K, 
or more. Geez, I'm starting to sound like a grave robber. Anyway, I hear ya. 
I never suggest anyone rebuild their upright, and I'd only get involved with 
a firm disclaimer as to end value. But, if the quality's there, that 1 out 
of 3. You know, good for the client, good for the piano, good for me.
Fenton
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Nossaman" <rnossaman at cox.net>
To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 8:18 AM
Subject: Re: Bass Bridge Position-upright


>
>> The money isn't there in the top end but the quality often is.
>
> At least it was quality a hundred years ago. Now it's a ghost of it's 
> former potential.
>
>
>> Occasionally someone is willing to put 12K or so to restore an old piece, 
>> then you got a job.
>
> Not in Wichita Kansas, you don't. I've talked to a thousand people about 
> doing a real resurrection on the treasured family upright, and in thirty 
> years, have yet to run into anyone willing to entertain spending more than 
> a couple of thousand and yes, that of course includes refinishing. 
> Refinishing is always the first and often the only consideration. There 
> have been enough piano folks around willing to do minimal work for maximum 
> return, that the owners will usually find someone to take their money and 
> produce the illusion that the piano has been "fixed".
>
>
>>If I weren't a tech and I inherited an old upright along with xhundred 
>>thousand dollars from Grandma, I just might be compelled to restore her 
>>old piano.
>
> Here, if Grandma had xhundred thousand dollars to bequeath, she also 
> bloody well had either a grand, or a Whitney spinet.
>
>
>>The wife doesn't want that old thing in the house unless it's restored.
>
> And when she hears the price, instantly consigns it to the Salvation Army 
> or church for a write off of 1500% of it's "sentimental" value.
>
>
>> I'm not looking for those jobs, but they do come along.
>> Fenton
>
> Should one come along, I'd do it too, but I'm not holding my breath.
> Ron N
>
>