[pianotech] Gen-u-whine Steinway parts

[Dale Erwin]

Nice to see the header on this is getting so much mileage. Its important to raise public awareness about both irritating issue, don't cha think
 Proceed
 Dale


Dale Erwin... RPT
 Mason & Hamlin/Steinway/U.S pianos
www.Erwinspiano.com
209-577-8397

 
  





-----Original Message-----
From: David Love <davidlovepianos at comcast.net>
To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Tue, May 1, 2012 6:23 pm
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Gen-u-whine Steinway parts


Check out the article in the Economist about a month or two ago comparing the 
sound of various vintage violins against new ones. A blind listening experiment. 
I won't ruin it by telling you which ones came out ahead.

David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com
(sent from bb)

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Williams <pwilliams4 at unl.edu>
Sender: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 20:29:31 
To: pianotech at ptg.org<pianotech at ptg.org>
Reply-To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Gen-u-whine Steinway parts

As beautiful as a Strad sounds, the strings made in the day are not
available anymore..or are they?  Cat gut just can't be around.  Certainly,
a bridge must have been replace in 300 years, but Mr Strad didn't do it,
nor could have.  A tuning nut, etc, whatever:  When is the line drawn?

I once was an actual employee for a piano store and was told to shut my
mouth when we held those huge warehouse sales and all I was to do was tune
and look busy!  Believe me, that only lasted a few months! I couldn't
stand hearing the salesman push "oh, this piano is all original and on and
on (looking at a 1930's Stark or something they were trying to push off
for $3,500!!!)  Ugh! "But look here at this beautiful new (%* grand you
can get for the same price!  No problems with it, one free tuning, and
you're good to go for years!

Paul


On 5/1/12 2:57 PM, "Don Hubbs" <donhubbs at mwt.net> wrote:

>You might try comparing yourselves with the craftsmen who set up other
>fine
>stringed instruments. There are better and lesser makes of violins, etc.,
>but no professional or even good amateur would play one right out of the
>box. They are often modified with better strings, bridge adjustments,
>fingerboard adjustments, etc., without which they would often be mediocre
>at
>best.
>
>If you are regularly called on to finesse concert instruments, let your
>customer know that, too.
>
>Salesmen are salesmen. They can sell a way too bright piano as "voiced for
>jazz", while keeping a straight face. You have to sell your craft as the
>finesse that makes all the difference.
>
>Don Hubbs
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Encore Pianos [mailto:encorepianos at metrocast.net]
>Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 11:56 AM
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Subject: Re: [pianotech] Gen-u-whine Steinway parts
>
>Well put, Jim.  And Steinway plays on that insecurity to the hilt.
>
>Will
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
>Behalf
>Of jim at grandpianosolutions.com
>Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 10:41 AM
>To: pianotech
>Subject: [pianotech] Gen-u-whine Steinway parts
>
>Dale I feel your pain.
>
>However, as a point of constructive discussion,  regarding human brains in
>general regarding this problem, I would like to look at this problem from
>a
>different perspective.  As a disclaimer, I'm sure you know that I share
>your
>passion for piano rebuilding as the committed pursuit of beautiful piano
>sound. (If it weren't for the possibility of creating beautiful sound, I'd
>probably just be selling life insurance or some other yuck-and-a-half.)
>
>But...let me set up a hypothetical scenario, with me as a piano buyer
>(assuming by some amazing stroke of unlikely-ness, I had some serious
>bucks
>to spend on a real nice piano.)
>
>In this scenario, if had come by enough money to manage a one-time, big
>bucks purchase of a piano, (as in get it right, because I wouldn't be able
>to try again), I could easily see myself majorly conflicted between a
>really
>fine rebuild and a big name-brand piano purchase.  Being brutally honest
>with myself, in my mind, given the funds to purchase a big name brand, I
>believe I would be conflicted in choosing a rebuild over a big name-brand
>piano despite that fact that the conflict goes against my very existence
>as
>a life long artisan-craftsperson/musician, and despite the fact that I
>know
>as a technician how lousy these new brand -name pianos sound on the "lot".
>
>Having only one shot at the "right" piano, especially when the acquisition
>of that "right" piano is so central to my experience of music, I know that
>the decision would have a great likelihood of creating some base line of
>disappointment.  And, though its irrational, and goes against everything
>that I know about lousy pianos sounding on the big-name piano "lot", the
>"authority" which brand names acquire would tempt me to put my trust in
>the
>brand as something larger and more authoritative than a single guy in his
>shop...therefore more likely of avoiding disappointment.
>
>My reasoning above is convoluted, irrational, and just plain bulls..t.
>However, I also know this line of thought needs to be countered in the
>working of my own mind.  I pin the conflict on some sort of evolutionary
>detritus, but there it is, despite the fact that it gnaws at the very
>foundations of who I am as an artisan...but...still...it is there if I am
>honest with myself.
>
>I solved this problem by making my own piano. it removes the money from
>the
>equation, and gives me control over the outcome, as well as tools ton
>overcome shortcomings.
>
>But I cheated.
>
>Customers don't have this control, and are utterly dependent on others for
>the outcome of their quest.
>
>Just some thoughts, as I mull over how one can actually sell a fine
>rebuild,
>regardless of how excellent the rebuild is, when we all are evolutionarily
>still somewhere at the level of a bloody pickerel.
>
>Jim Ialeggio
>
>--
>Jim Ialeggio
>jim at grandpianosolutions.com
>(978) 425-9026
>Shirley, MA
>
>
>
>
>
>
>



 
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