[pianotech] 1880s Steinway Grand - viable project or no?

[John Dorr]

>Sender: Chuck Behm <behmpiano at gmail.com> Subject: Re: [pianotech] 1880s 
>Steinway Grand - viable project or no? Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:51:45 -0600 

>>Under the best of circumstances you can make some money and they can be very
>>satisfying projects but they are not get rich quick schemes so a careful
>>examination of your motives is in order.

>>David Love<

Exactly.  And Chuck's reply below is also pertinent.  My motive is to learn a
lot, and make at least LITTLE money.  I don't expect to make a lot, but I also
don't intend to LOSE anything.  However, if I do, then as I wrote before, I'll
consider it "paying for my education."

I don't necessarily wish to become a rebuilder.  But I do want to KNOW more.
And I want to be CAPABLE of more.  To this point, I've merely made beaters
(an old car guy term) playable and tuneable, and sold them for a minimal
profit and for the education value.  I have 5-10 pianos in my garage at any
one time.  So when I don't have work, I work on them.  Eventually they're
sold.  I may not have made the hourly rate I quote for repairs (rarely do),
but remember:  I wasn't WORKING at the time.  And that time didn't COST me
anything out of pocket.  Eventually there was a return, albeit occasionally
minimal.  The education, though, has been priceless.  And anytime I've had a
NEW, higher skill-level job, I look for a piano in the garage that needs the
same job, and I'll do
it first on the guinea pig so that the customer-pay job is not my first
attempt.

Now I thirst for more.  Being an old car guy, and having built some pretty
cool cars, this whole restoration thing really has appeal for me.  I don't
believe that it'll replace home service.  It'll merely be a paying hobby.  I
want to do it for the self satisfaction and confidence.  AND I've been taking
pictures, aspiring to put together a sales tool like Chuck describes below.

>> Chuck writes:
>"However, there are other factors that should be considered in making this 
>decision than just the 'bottom line.' I agree with David that you should 
>carefully examine your motives, for there are other reasons to become 
>>involved in a project of this nature than just what you stand to make. Here 
>>are some: Experience - I don't recall from previous posts you've made which 
>of the contemplated repairs (complete action rebuild, dampers, pin block, 
>stringing, keytops and refinishing) you've made in the past, but if any of 
>these repairs are new to you, you're going to get an education tackling a job 
>like this >that will be better than anything you can learn from a book or 
>article in the Journal. You mention farming some of the jobs out. I would 
>encourage you to >do it all yourself. The more you do, the more you will 
>learn."

True enough.  I mentioned farming out some stuff (soundboard and pinblock and
refinishing are what I have in mind) because I consider them critical and I
haven't done any of that on my aforementioned "guinea pigs" yet.  Maybe I'd do
that first and try it.  I think I can pick this piano up for so CHEAP that I
wouldn't have to hurry it to recover a great deal of money.

BTW -- (can of worms alert!) -- at the Grand Rapids convention there was a
rebuilder from El Paso, Texas.  They're called "Piano Union", I think, at
www.pianounion.com and they had rebuilding packages with incredibly low
almost-too-good-to-be-true prices.  (Now I LIVED in El Paso for 11 years or so
and I KNOW that labor is really CHEAP there, but...)  Does anybody have any
experience with these folks?  I'm skeptical, but if they can deliver on what
they say...

>Confidence - An invaluable commodity. One that's hard to put a price tag on, 
>but one that will boost your spirits, and be gold to you down the road. When 
>you know in your heart that there is work you can do to improve the piano, and
>you have the experience to back it up, you'll be able to convey that 
>confidence in your ability to your customer. 

>A platform for future sales - Photograph everything you do with this piano. 
>Print pictures and carry these along with you on tuning calls to show 
>customers when the topic of possible restoration work comes up. If a picture 
>says a thousand words, a whole album of pictures is worth its weight in gold. 

Exactly.  Preachin' to the choir!

>And last but not least - Something to talk about when your sitting in a 
>nursing home someday other than "I wish I would have done this, or I wish I 
>would have done that." Seriously, you want some things to count as your "glory 
>days," so you can sit back and bask in the memory of the things that you've 
>done, not the things that you didn't do. If you always "play it safe" you 
>won't have much to brag about to the other geezers in the home. I'm just 
>kidding a little here. I sadly remember my dad telling me over and over that 
>he wished he would have "built that shop." Be a little brave, and try some new 
>things. 

That's known as "the rockin' chair test".  (war story alert!)  When I was 20
or so, I owned, free and clear, a perfectly good mini-truck.  Low miles.
Bought it new.  I didn't like its lack of power.  I thought I might like to
drop in a 289 High-Performance Ford V-8 and toploader 4-speed from a Mustang
to pep it up a mite.  I thought about calling my Dad to ask if I should.  I
decided not to, because I knew he'd say it was foolish.  And I knew he 
would've been right, too, but I did it anyway.  A LOT of money and a lot of 
pitfalls and learning later, I had a V8 powered mini-truck that ran like a 
scalded dog.  Ultimately, though, not a wise move, but I'm glad I did it. 
 Just
to say I did.  Swore off crazy engine-swaps ever after, though!

>Best of luck, whatever you decide to do. Keep us posted.  Chuck Behm 

Thanks, and I will keep everybody posted.

And again, apologies for the awkward formatting.

John Dorr, RPT
Helena, MT