[pianotech] pulley key...

[Delwin D Fandrich]

Well, that was about $2,300 in today's dollars and I'm not sure you can buy
a piano for that much now. Back then-early 1960s-a minimally decent console
ran about $500 to $700 or about $3,800 $5,400 (if memory serves). Not all
that much different from today's market. Except that now they are all coming
from Japan, Indonesia and China.

 

And technicians did complain about the poor quality and performance of these
pianos. But who was listening? Manufacturers (and dealers) were still
selling everything they could crank out the doors regardless of quality or
performance. America still had a thriving and growing middle class and
pianos were still considered a family necessity-you weren't considered
"cultured" unless you had a piano in the living room and it didn't matter if
it was played or not. So who cared how many picky technicians complained?
They just didn't understand anything about "business." Not real business,
anyway.

 

ddf 

 

Delwin D Fandrich

Piano Design & Fabrication

6939 Foothill Court SW, Olympia, Washington 98512 USA

Phone  360.515.0119 - Cell  360.388.6525

 <mailto:del at fandrichpiano.com> del at fandrichpiano.com -
<mailto:ddfandrich at gmail.com> ddfandrich at gmail.com

 

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Paul Williams
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 1:01 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] pulley key...

 

Thank God I've only had to deal with a few of these beasts over the years.

 

What's worse: that, a Betsy Ross spinet, a Lester?   All nasty abuse (and
demise) of the American piano! Or, the disintegration of great old names who
became pianos "made in America by factory workers" or whatever that stupid
sticker says.  Why did technicians let this continue back in the day and not
speak up??  Did they really expect lots of business from these sad excuses
for pianos??  If somebody bought a piano for $300, they certainly didn't
consider keeping them up, right? Doesn't matter if the tunings back then
were only $15-20.

 

Don't take me as snobby here, but since I do very little tuning outside UNL,
if somebody calls with a spinet (most any brand, although some Acrosonics
I've tuned are sort of tolerable and playable when I'm finished with them) I
refer them to another technician..someone in financial need of business
mostly.  I won't refer them to a busy tech with enough to do.

 

Is that so wronggggg?

 

Paul

 

 

From: Delwin D Fandrich <del at fandrichpiano.com>
Reply-To: "pianotech at ptg.org" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Date: Thursday, September 27, 2012 2:46 PM
To: "pianotech at ptg.org" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Subject: Re: [pianotech] pulley key...

 

No, the idea was that the dealer could run newspaper ads and put up big
banners advertising, "New Grand Pianos from $295!" Even back in the 1960s
that was a pretty low price and the strategy did bring in few customers. The
dealer would then try to upgrade those customers to a real piano but there
were always some who insisted on buying what was advertised.

 

ddf

 

Delwin D Fandrich

Piano Design & Fabrication

6939 Foothill Court SW,Olympia, Washington 98512 USA

Phone  360.515.0119 - Cell  360.388.6525

del at fandrichpiano.com  <mailto:del at fandrichpiano.com> - ddfandrich at gmail.com

 

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Euphonious Thumpe
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 10:51 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] pulley key...

 


The "Grand" spinet (by, I believe, the "Grand Piano Company" of Roanoke) is
quite possibly the worst piano ever built -- outside of something cobbled
together in a garage by a hobbyist. They almost visibly twist while a tuning
is attempted to be put into them, and were created, I suspect, so that
people of very limited means 
( and/or education) could say: "I own a Grand Piano!" Despicable!!! While
passing through Roanoke some years ago I noticed a burned-out hulk of a
building downtown with "GRAND PIANO COMPANY" painted on it, which is why I
suspect they were conjured up there. 

Thumpe

 

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