[pianotech] NY Times article on pianos

[David Love]

Yes, quite far off the mark.  Let's not let the facts get in the way of our
beliefs.  Joe lives just outside of Portland, not exactly poor man's
territory.  And "Richperson's Retirementland" ???  Terry can address his own
demographics and will, I'm sure, but most retirees that I know, well off or
not, are not spending their money on piano rebuilding.  They're giving the
old piano to the grandkids and letting them have at it if they so choose.   

 

This conversation has taken on a real Twilight Zone tone.  

 

An ordinary piano, or is it..

 

David Love

www.davidlovepianos.com

 

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Euphonious Thumpe
Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2012 2:06 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] NY Times article on pianos

 


Yes, I believed so. It seemed to me that you were criticizing Joe for taking
on work for what he could get for it in HIS market, rather than holding out
for what YOU can get for it down there in "Richperson's Retirementland". 
I really would prefer to get along with everyone on this list, when at all
possible, and sincerely respect all consummate perfectionists ( such as I
believe you are ) so please correct me if I am wrong. (And I invite all
others who consider that last post of mine to be "off the mark" -or not- to
similarly "chime in".)

Regards,
Thumpe

 

  _____  

From: Terry Farrell <mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com>; 
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>; 
Subject: Re: [pianotech] NY Times article on pianos 
Sent: Tue, Jul 31, 2012 8:37:55 PM 


And does your post have anything to do with what I posted?

 

Terry Farrell

 

On Jul 31, 2012, at 10:19 AM, Euphonious Thumpe wrote:






I believe we should all be tolerant and respectful regarding the exceedingly
different socioeconomic climates in different parts of this nation. In some,
money is often "no object", in others, people spend nothing on pianos, 
or as little as possible. Here, for example, several decent-condition
Steinway uprights recently sold at a school system auction for $200 each. A
buyer asked what I'd charge to tune one, and even $75 was too much for him. 
(Including helping him move it, if I remember correctly.) And in some areas,
the "wealthy"people are no more inclined to spend money on their pianos than
the poor. Expenses also vary greatly among us: some own houses and shops,
others have mortgages or rent. And some techs ARE willing to work for free,
or close to it. So it's really whatever that works between a tech and a
customer that is "fair". What is NOT fair, in my opinion, is govermnent
policies that allow predatory marketing by overseas suppliers to put our
factories and workers out of business!

Thumpe

P.S. If our government did not subsidize "Big Oil", and instead forced it to
pay for the environmental damage it causes, the cost of shipping things from
overseas (in ships that burn nasty "bunker oil", especially ) would greatly
rise, making domestic production far more competitive!

 

  _____  

From: Terry Farrell <mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com <javascript:return> >; 
To: <pianotech at ptg.org <javascript:return> >; 
Subject: Re: [pianotech] NY Times article on pianos 
Sent: Tue, Jul 31, 2012 9:34:15 AM 


Boy oh boy Joe. I at least hope your foot was clean before you went and
stuck it in your mouth!  ;-)

You talk of "REAL rebuilding" and say that the piano you post about "got it
all". Okay, great! So it got refinished, keys & keybed rebuilt, all new
action, new redesigned belly, etc., etc. Wow, that's great & nifty!!! And
let's see, that would easily add up to.... oh, let's even be very
conservative - maybe $20K to $25K - unless of course one is running a piano
non-profit missionary. Okay, so far, so good! 

Now, I'm not really so up on the cost of new upright Pleyel's. Am I safe to
think that they might be somewhere in the range of a new high-end Yamaha or
Steinway? So maybe $15K to $20K? X3 would be $45K to $60K - but you only
charged $20K to $25. If you had done it for 1/3 the cost of a new Pleyel,
you would have had to have only charged maybe $7K or so.

That's goofy man. I'd get that for the action & keys alone. So like you do
belly work for free? This really does not add up at all Joe. Please explain.
Or was this only written for our entertainment?

I think I gotcha here fella!!!!!

Terry Farrell


On Jul 31, 2012, at 12:01 AM, Joseph Garrett wrote:

> Wim,
> That is YOUR opinion not MINE!
> I've just completed an 1860 ish German Upright. Straight Strung. It is
> Circasian Walnut, with beautiful carvings and candleabras. It got it all,
> EXCEPT to be refinished.  (The customer likes it with all it's "character
> marks".<G>) The cost? I won't say.. However, that little cottage piano is
> absolutely GEORGOUS! Tonally, Aesthetically and with a nice light touch,
> (typical of those of that period). I'd put it up against anything out
there
> of comparable size and of twice what I did the total rebuild for. This
> little piano would knock the doors off of the BEST Pleyel! AND, at about
> 1/3 the cost of that Pleyel! That is the only piano that would come close
> to how this piano is. You tell me that "..in the "grand old day"...blah de
> blah crap! This IS the grand olde days.. You live in a totally weird place
> that is not suitable for any decent piano to reside and complain about the
> crap you have to work on??? You don't have a clue about REAL rebuilding
and
> care and love that goes into it. All you care about is the BOTTOM LINE.
> Horse pucky!
> Joe

 

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