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Banned by Steinway Parts Department

  • 1.  Banned by Steinway Parts Department

    Posted 11-18-2019 14:35
    Is this a new trend over there at Steinway Parts department? To ban technicians? They sure are rude and pompous over there. Iv'e been purchasing from them only on a "when i had to" basis for years. Suddenly, they lose my account. Many rude emails trying to fix it. I just say forget it, not worth it.

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    Troubles are Bubbles, and they just float away.
    chernobieffpiano.com
    grandpianoman@protonmail.com
    Knoxville, TN
    865-986-7720
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  • 2.  RE: Banned by Steinway Parts Department

    Posted 11-18-2019 14:59
    I'm beginning to understand why Steinway are supplying parts only to authorised agents.

    I met a guy in another country on a plane who said that he was having new hammers fitted to his 1920s American Steinway M. I went to have a look and the old hammers did need replacing. 

    He got three quotes and went for the cheapest who was a bloke responsible for maintaining the instruments at the local opera house and represented that he was the bees' knees of expertise and skill.

    When dismounting the old hammers he didn't take a map of striking points, and so caused himself a lot of wasted time and work adjusting the new hammers which went in.

    He very vigorously wire-wooled all the strings, which didn't need doing, and I think pressed so hard that the bridge wood was slightly dented causing false notes when I went back to retune it. He also didn't re-cover the original dampers but replaced them with a modern straight shoulder style, which to me is unoriginal and visually ugly.

    He didn't understand how to needle hammers to voice them. He sanded them and marks on the hammers on the shoulders look rough almost as if he used a rasp. The end result is that he didn't soften the hard hammers at all, and came close to ruining them. The sound was most hideously hard and quite foul.

    Thanks to the mentoring of a PTG forum member, I solved the problem in half an hour by steaming the felts, and this produced the appropriate softness for the instrument and its setting, such that when one evening recently we gathered together with musical friends none could stop playing the instrument as they were enjoying it, and a friend did a masterclass for a pupil using it.

    Big ego technicians who take the business from the Steinway technicians and then produce an instrument unworthy of the name of Steinway can be seen to do the brand a significant disservice.

    Of course I'm not applying this personal experience to that related in the originating post and nor am I defending the outright commerciality of reputation that Steinway are acquiring. But it's clear that there is a point of view to be seen. Their blanket refusal to supply parts to good technicians is clearly without discernment.

    Best wishes

    David P



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    David Pinnegar, B.Sc., A.R.C.S.
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    +44 1342 850594



    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Banned by Steinway Parts Department

    Posted 11-18-2019 16:02
    A couple points here David.
    First, I was just trying to buy a couple bolts that were broken. Hardly a big deal.
    Second, If you call any company(besides Steinway of course) and if they claim they only sell parts wholesale, they will generally give you a list a retailers to buy from. Steinway is playing another game that sounds like discrimination.
    -chris

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    Troubles are Bubbles, and they just float away.
    chernobieffpiano.com
    grandpianoman@protonmail.com
    Knoxville, TN
    865-986-7720
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Banned by Steinway Parts Department

    Posted 11-18-2019 16:50
    Yes - I quite understand which is why I referred to them as exercising lack of discernment.

    Ultimately it will be Steinway who loses out and not just for such reasons. I heard recently of a Russian pianist who wanted to specify an unequal temperament for a concert. Steinway wouldn't - or couldn't - do it. I wrote to Maura in the London showroom with an invitation to introducing them to what I'm doing, but didn't get a response. I suspect that unless it's a matter of clinching a sale, Steinway aren't interested.

    It's a matter of being commercial for venal reasons rather than in any way for promoting music.

    Best wishes

    David P

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    David Pinnegar, B.Sc., A.R.C.S.
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    +44 1342 850594



    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Banned by Steinway Parts Department

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 11-18-2019 20:36
    Mr. Chernobieff,

    I feel your frustration believe me. The cause of your problem is, sadly, almost certainly ineptitude and not malicious intent.  The parts department is not staffed as it once was and the remaining staff are having to wear more hats than they have heads to put them on.  If you are imagining a world in which Steinway is aware of individual technicians to the point of discriminating between friend and foe I'm highly confident that you are mistaken.

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    Karl Roeder
    Pompano Beach FL
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Banned by Steinway Parts Department

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 11-19-2019 02:39
    You're claiming two different things: 1. you were "banned," and 2. they lost your account info.

    These are not the same thing, so I'm not sure how you can claim you were "banned" if you really weren't.

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    Scott Cole, RPT
    rvpianotuner.com
    Talent, OR
    (541-601-9033
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Banned by Steinway Parts Department

    Posted 11-19-2019 09:25
    <The cause of your problem is, sadly, almost certainly ineptitude and not malicious intent.  

    Chris, Somethimes, folks tend to observe the shear force of randomness, disorganization, and incompetence, and attribute to those archetypal forces, an all- knowing malevolent plan.  Happens all the time these days, with conspiracy theories attributing all-knowing, precision guided malevolence to random, and laughable levels of disorganization in the larger sphere. 

    Here's a link that I find unbelievably helpful in the tendency to see negative intent in all things...a rather common brain fart, that I have had to work through myself. Most everyone I mentioned this to Three good things, has found it helpful in this regard.  I would call it a birthday present, but since the statistics say its probably not your birthday, consider it a Happy Un-birthday present.

    I don't work with Steinway or their parts at all anymore, but, when I was working with them, I experienced a fair amount of this disorganization, and shear ignorance of their own products among the most glowing luminaries of this particularr company.
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    Jim Ialeggio
    grandpianosolutions.com
    Shirley, MA
    978 425-9026
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Banned by Steinway Parts Department

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 11-19-2019 09:41
    Thanks for sharing this, Jim. 

    Richard West






    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Banned by Steinway Parts Department

    Posted 11-19-2019 09:47
    Thanks Jim,
    It's funny how things work sometimes. It started out that I just needed two bolts, and now i'm being consigned to anger management. LOL

    Chernobieff Piano Restorations

    Chris Chernobieff ( pronounced chur-no-bif )
    Lenoir City, Tennessee 
    email: chrisppff@gmail.com
    Follow on:  Facebook
    phone: 865-986-7720







    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Banned by Steinway Parts Department

    Posted 11-19-2019 10:53
    nope Chris, its not anger management...pretty much anyone I showed this two found it to be helpful. Our brain in general, tends to the negative, for existential reasons. Its not anger, its just a negative neural pathway we all will tend to follow, to make sure our ass's don't get cooked. That's why I find the descriptions of why this "Three good things" works so interesting..

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    Jim Ialeggio
    grandpianosolutions.com
    Shirley, MA
    978 425-9026
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    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Banned by Steinway Parts Department

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 11-19-2019 11:03
    Jim,

    I would like to add my thanks for posting the link to Three Good Things. I will try this starting today, and I feel sure it will have a positive effect. I think you could add making your post to your list for today. Have a wonderful day! 

    Mark Schecter
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    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Banned by Steinway Parts Department

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 11-21-2019 00:37
    Thanks for the insight on the matter, Jim. The video link was most insightful!

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    John Minor
    University of Illinois
    jminor@illinois.edu
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    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: Banned by Steinway Parts Department

    Posted 11-20-2019 15:18
    I just opened my account with Steinway. Originally had trouble logging into the parts system. A quick email to them and the problem was solved in less than 1 day. Even getting a new password on their system if you forget yours is very simple.  I find their system works fine.  No trouble at all. Its like any business.. good days and bad. It shouldn't happen but it does.

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    Jeffrey Gegner
    Tipton IN
    765-860-5900
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    Original Message