Well, if that is the case, they deserve to have Bösendorfers.
Posted on 11/17/2011 8:51:59 PM PST by freespirited
Edited on 11/18/2011 9:51:41 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Does Bowie State really need $553,000 worth of new pianos? More specifically, Steinway pianos, the cr
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Perhaps Steinway could donate the pianos for such a historic occasion.
I could see getting one or two really nice ones for performances and recitals, and the rest versatile but relatively inexpensive electronic pianos (like Roland) that play extremely realistically yet need virtually no maintenance. And it would come well under half that budget and the actual pianists would be more than satisfied.
Some of the best Steinways are decades-old ones that have been rebuilt at much less cost than making them new. And there’s a certain panache about having an actual instrument that served, say, Liberace. Or Fats Waller.
Broke??
After raising state sales tax, cigarette and alchohol tax Dems had money for illegals tuition (Dream Act) and want to now raise our state gasoline tax.
Welcome to Democrats government without consequences: Maryland!
So you would deprive the historically black students their magical instruments? What a black heart you have, sir!
As black as the flat keys on a Steinway, sir!
Anyhow... today’s electronic pianos are about as magical as you can get, because they can imitate instruments that cost several hundred thousand dollars, in a unit that retails for maybe $6000, and bulk purchases would get a better deal. It’s a sad but common story that a school gets a really nice grand piano but has no clue how to handle it or set it up, and gets substandard maintenance personnel. The result is that any serious pianist will refuse to use it, preferring the beat-up console piano that has sat down the hall for 25 years as long as it has had a fresh tuning. The best Steinway cannot tune or adjust itself, it isn’t that magical.
FWIW, that is a pretty good investment. 32 Steinways for about $17,000 a piece? If they are in halfway decent playing condition, then that is a genuine steal.
Those pianos will be still be worth double that amount in 10 years. This is just like putting money in the bank.
BTW every Steinway is made in the USA from parts that are all made in the USA. The cheap pianos (those Chevrolets) are all made in China or some other third world country.
A Steinway piano will last for 150 years. Or more.
Maybe they’d be worth that much in the future. If some goons don’t “occupy” them first, dump coffee down the keyboard, etc. And if they weren’t so badly handled that they have to be rebuilt that soon. (No, you don’t spritz WD-40 on tuning pins.)
They can, if well kept. So can just about any acoustic, if well kept. I’d sooner see them make room in their budget for competent maintenance and get instruments that aren’t so deluxe. Anyhow the article says “or designed by Steinway” which sounds like Chinese make instruments, even if using Steinway specifications.
Well, if that is the case, they deserve to have Bösendorfers.
And who said you cannot squeeze blood out of a rock.
Might I add they are welcome to ship any of their new Steinways to my home to add to my collection of pianos. (okay just one--lol). I'll happily pay for the voicing and tuning. :-D.
One Bosendorfer, a really competent piano technician on call, and a gaggle of Rolands, would come well under that budget.
When I was in college we had to "check out" the pianos. The school then has a record of who was in the piano room when the damage was done.
No matter how yo look at it, the price for the pianos is right. If they paid $6000 each for some modern electronic piano, they'd be out $200,000 and have to completely replace them every 5 years. These pianos can theoretically last for hundreds of years. Sure you have to do a $2000 rebuild every 10 years, but that keeps the piano tuners in business and helps the local economy.
Steinways are much better instruments than Bösendorfers. Bösendorfers have a thin muted sound whereas Steinways have a strong brilliant and full sound. European pianos by and large are crap and always have been.
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