[pianotech] The End of Piano Making in Britain

[William Truitt]

"We discovered long ago that rebuilding pianos would not make you rich, It's
easier and more financially viable to sell new pianos. Those that have
stores and showrooms have become multi millionaires."

 

As someone who was a piano dealer for 7 years, I find this statement amusing
in its unknowing presumption, as I believe most piano dealers would.  I'm
certainly not getting rich rebuilding pianos after 35 years, but the
multimillions passed me by without stopping when I was a piano dealer, and
that was 6 years ago.  These days piano dealers are dropping like flies in
fairly desperate times.  Suffice it to say it is a very difficult business
to make a living at.

 

Will Truitt 

 

 

 

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Alan Forsyth
Sent: Friday, October 02, 2009 4:12 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: [pianotech] The End of Piano Making in Britain

 

Of course, the Kembles coming out of that factory were merely Yamaha U1's,
U3's and the smaller Yamahas in disguise. The Kemble name will actually
still remain as the factory is effectively transferring to the Philippines.
It's another chapter in the diaspora of western technology. Quality control
may actually improve. There has been many a new Kemble that I have come
across which I felt like sending back to the factory as nearly every single
string on it was false. The people at Kemble actually admit that they do not
spend as much time toning the hammers as they would like to. The result is
that these pianos have a very boring sound; they don't sing or have a tone
that would make you want to buy it. Give me a piano made a century ago
anyday! Each brand seemed to have it's own distinctive sound and magic. It's
a bitter disappointment when you walk into a showroom these days only to
find nothing that excites you ...... they all sound the same!

 

        "And there are precious few rebuilding workshops, and the ones that

             exist....."

 

We discovered long ago that rebuilding pianos would not make you rich, It's
easier and more financially viable to sell new pianos. Those that have
stores and showrooms have become multi millionaires.

 

       " People are still buying and playing pianos, but they are of course
made in China."

 

It's also sad when even the local blind school disposes of all their
acoustic pianos in favour of electronic ones, of course so that they don't
have to spend money on having them tuned.

 

AF

 

 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: david at piano.plus.com 

To: pianotech at ptg.org 

Sent: Friday, October 02, 2009 12:14 PM

Subject: [pianotech] The End of Piano Making in Britain

 

The closing down of Kemble this month sees the end of piano manufacture in
Britain.

It's a long time since any grand pianos were made here, and now there will
be no uprights either.  It's kinda sad really.

As far as training for new tuner/technicians goes, how will there be any?

It seems that there is very little "demand" in terms of young people
wanting to train in this field.  There is only one course left, at Newark
in Nottinghamshire, and even that course seems to be hanging by a thread.

And there are precious few rebuilding workshops, and the ones that exist
tend to be one-man busiesses who cannot afford to take on and train
apprentices.

People are still buying and playing pianos, but they are of course made in
China.

What will happen over the next few years?



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