[pianotech] Gen-u-whine Steinway parts

[John Ashcraft]

Will,
How eloquent! How reasonable! Well put. Dale's output is clearly of higher
quality than that of any factory. On top of amazing tone, the touch should
sell the job. They just don't put the time and effort into a factory
production piano that goes into a custom job.
-John Ashcraft, RPT

On Mon, Apr 30, 2012 at 9:52 AM, Encore Pianos
<encorepianos at metrocast.net>wrote:

> Hi Dale:****
>
> ** **
>
> I feel your pain, brother.  When I sold new pianos and rebuilds as well,
> we had a totally rebuilt Mason & Hamlin BB for sale.  When it was complete,
> it was one of the nicest sounding pianos I have ever done.  The voicing was
> over the top luscious – chocolaty, velvety tenor.  It was my two chord
> wonder – pianists would sit down, play two chords, and start making
> orgasmic sounds.  The story here is that I had 3 serious buyers tell me
> that it was the best piano they had ever heard, better than any Steinway
> they had played.  But they would not buy it because they wanted a  Steinway.
> ****
>
> ** **
>
> Well, at least yours is a Steinway!****
>
> ** **
>
> I think it’s time to be a salesman.  I know you are always a gentleman,
> and will be so with this customer.  Hopefully, you have this customer’s
> e-mail address or mailing address, because this may be a better way to
> approach her again.  Your comments to us are unfortunately preaching to the
> choir, but that does not make what you will say to her any less true.  ***
> *
>
> ** **
>
> I might begin by speaking about the soundboard.  If the board in this
> board came from a first growth tree, you could sell her on the differences
> on the first growth trees of that day versus the second growth, smaller
> trees with wider grains that manufacturers are forced to buy today because
> of the depleted forests. Tell her what you hear coming from that board.
> Tell her don’t take my word for it, I respect your intelligence and ear.
> Play it for yourself and make your own judgment as to how it sounds to you
> as a discriminating player.   ****
>
> ** **
>
> Sell her on the higher quality materials that you used elsewhere in the
> rebuild.  Bass strings are a good example.  A lot of us do not use factory
> bass strings because they are inferior to what our best bass string makers
> can supply us.  Tell her that Steinway does not make its own bass strings,
> they are made by a supplier who makes bass strings for a lot of makers.
> You don’t like their strings because they are full of false beats, winding
> lengths uneven, - whatever the reasons are that you don’t use them,
> honestly.  I wouldn’t be afraid to say that their strings are not of
> sufficiently high quality, and that there are other materials that are of
> better quality, and those are the ones you use.  It is not a question of
> price, it is one of quality.  But don’t take my word for it, play for
> yourself and you be the judge.  ****
>
> ** **
>
> Sell her on the reasons why you have not used their hammers in the past.
> We all know they have had their good periods and their bad periods when the
> hammers were pretty so so.  You believe that the piano has a wonderful
> Steinway sound, but don’t take my word for it, play it for yourself and you
> be the judge.  ****
>
> ** **
>
> Sell her on past successes.  You have rebuilt instruments placed in
> concert forums.  You have worked for serious professional pianists and
> amateurs.  Pick someone or two who have had your pianos or rebuilds for
> several years or more.  Ask them if you can make a referral to them for
> this customer.  ****
>
> ** **
>
> Here’s a thought:  Invite her again to come and play the instrument.
> Offer to buy her and her husband or partner dinner at a good local eatery
> if she does not agree that it is a solid and respectable instrument of high
> quality in touch and tone and character after she has auditioned it.  That
> doesn’t mean that it has to be the right piano for her, that is very
> personal decision, as we know.  ****
>
> ** **
>
> Tell her it’s a missed opportunity otherwise.  Sell her with confidence
> what you know to be true about this piano.  ****
>
> ** **
>
> Good luck Dale,****
>
> ** **
>
> Will      ****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> *From:* pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] *On
> Behalf Of *Dale Erwin
> *Sent:* Monday, April 30, 2012 11:25 AM
> *To:* pianotech at ptg.org
> *Subject:* [pianotech] Gen-u-whine Steinway parts****
>
> ** **
>
> Hi Guys
>    Well it finally happened, a prospective client who was scheduled to see
> a very nice Steinway B we have for sale and declined  to even come see it
> because she spoke with the dealer and learned how non ge-u-whine parts
> degrades the piano. Its not s a Steinway anymore!
> This B didn't have the Gen-u-whine Steinway hammers on it. But it had
> Isaac hammers on it made with the then, genuine American felt co. felt that
> Steinway N.Y. was using at the time. These hammers far more user friendly
> and creating an authentic vintage sound with out the usual voicing
> gymnastics(large amounts of lac.) we encounter with ge-u-whine Stwy hammers
>     This Isaac hammer with this felt are some of the best hammers I ever
> worked with /heard. The piano sounds fantastic(of course, what else would I
> say?)
> and has a thoroughly custom balanced  action /geometry.  Has a pristine
> Calif. preserved genuine Stwy soundboard, No cracks lots of crown and
> bearing.
> But, instead of simply coming to see this  beautiful instrument the client
> drank the dealer cool aide, swallowed the  marketing hype, hook line and
> sinker.
>     It seems that with all the information & disinformation floating
> around the electronic circles that folks trying to buy rebuilt,vintage
> Steinways contract a kind of an analysis paralysis when it come to
> believing and seeing whats right under the client fingers and the sound
> that is in their ears.
>    In all my years I have not once had a pianist sit down to one of our
> restorations, play it, love it, and then ask what kind of parts are in it.
> How ridiculous! They judged it on the merits, on the overall experience.
> Did it rock their musical world or not? That is what should and does
> historically sell high quality pianos of any make.
>   Its what goes into the piano in terms of time, effort, passion and
> talent that determine the outcome of a custom restoration no matter what
> parts are used or who installed the soundboard.
>   We must encourage clients to judge a piano on its merits,* not some
> slick disingenuous Steinway factory  marketing B.S. disseminated by dealers
> who have no clue what makes for a quality restoration.
> *    My son while at north Bennet st. heard a spiel by one of the Stwy
> management who shall remain nameless say,"that if you are going to replace
> a soundboard or use non factory parts that we should take the name off the
> plate and fallboard and install out own names there". Seriously!...simply
> delusional !*
> *    If we judged the relatively new B at our local* Gallo arts center*(with all genuine Stwy Parts) one can only conclude from it lack of tonal
> capacity and irritating sound that the soundboard is a failure. Come to
> find out its not just me,... what a relief,.... the local teachers  dislike
> the piano as well,....and yet it was CHOSEN......AT THE FACTORY. So now we
> have the emperors new clothes living in our beloved arts center to irritate
> an entire generation of folks.
> *
> *  Frankly the all Steinway parts  mantra touted by the Company politics
> is, and should be, *insulting* to us all.
> There are many fine parts being made today which work real really well in
> Steinways & Mason & Hamlin etc. Many fine makes of hammers. And.... I know
> many of you, and many of your shops, many small shops doing  incredible
> soundboard & action work that produces performance levels most pianist have
> NEVER experienced from any factory piano.
>    Continue to tell the truth, defend your work and let it speak for
> itself, no matter what parts are used.
> End of rant but simply had enough
>
>   *Dale Erwin RPT-**
> **Mason & Hamlin/Steinway/U.S pianos
> **Pre-hung Ronsen hammer sets/Abel parts**
> **Sitka Soundboards & Supplies
> **WWW.Erwinspiano.com**
> **209-577-8397**
> *
>
>    ****
>
>
>   ****
>
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