Another Louie "M" for comparison

[Wiliam Ballard]

On Apr 8, 2008, at 1:39 PM, Ron Nossaman wrote:
> Who out there who's still reading would recommend to a customer of  
> theirs that they buy this piano at this price?

As far as I'm concerned, it's a Blue Sky price. We all can spot a  
ticket which prices out of the picture any rebuilding it may be  
crying for.

> How about you, Bill, is your hand up?

Not for a price at which the current seller (and if that's you, Dale,  
don't take it personally) is clearly carving out any of the profit  
which might be made *after* the rebuilding the piano wants. I won't  
rule out someone, somewhere who would just love this piano in here  
living room, and for whom the price is right

> What's integrity worth these days?

More to the point here, with the internet's ability to broadcast  
things to the horizons, what place is there for the time-honored  
tradition of inspecting the goods first hand. Would I by a horse over  
the internet? Not unless I'd also been to see it run around the  
track, checked its teeth and hooves. Same with a piano (even though  
there's no stool sample to send to the vet).

I've actually got a low opinion of selling pianos on the net, Thump's  
one-of-a-kind treasures excepted. Several times, I've had to answer  
calls from people way across the country, wanting to know if  a  
particular piano is a good one. A piano which the owner has told them  
I can vouch for, and which I didn't even know was for sale. Someone  
from Houston or San Diego wants to surprise his pianist wife. Is this  
the right piano? Well, I know the piano, its pluses and minuses, but  
Sir, I don't know your wife. Your wife needs to know the piano. So  
the two of you please get on the plane and see it for yourself. (I  
did have a pianist fly round-trip NH/Utah to check out D.)

Just because the far reach of the 'net might increase by 10 or 50  
times the number of pianos one might turn up in their local shopping  
weekly, the chance of buying a good piano sight-unseen remains the  
same. Dicey.

I'm assuming that anyone one this list knows this too.

On Apr 8, 2008, at 2:18 PM, Dean May wrote:
> Speaking of which, there seems to be an amazing paucity of pianos  
> listed for
> sale, though they do come up. Is there some kind of gentleman's  
> agreement to
> not use the list for classified ads?

Does this answer your question, Dean?

End of rant. May collegiality reign.

mr bill




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