Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Baby Grands on Ebay

Worse by far was the French electrics fitted to fifties Alfa Romeo and Renault - was it Magnet Marelli.
But now you have to be a computer boff to sort out electronics. One can't even throw off a Bosh electromechanical system and retrofit a pair of good 'ole S.U.carbs c/w a clicking fuel pump in the boot.

I completely understand the allure, which is a big part of how we ended up with the piano that we did. For us, having something unique with a big sound, a colorful history, and character out the wazoo was more important than the (relatively) more precise/predictable action and cleaner sound we might have gotten from a 50 y/o decent quality spinet at a similar price. That may sound silly to some, but the emotional connection to our older piano is I believe a key driver to our desire to play and learn and the level at which we play and expect to play is not significantly impaired by the many deficiencies our old piano has. That could change over time, and we'll either have to make gradual improvements to the piano, or upgrade at some point, but for now its been a lot of fun at a minimal investment.

The challenge I believe is finding the right combination of character that excites/inspires you, with deficiencies you can live with and/or correct without breaking the bank. Finding that balance is difficult if not impossible without being able to assess the instrument in person, and have a tech give an honest assessment of its mechanical condition. There are a lot of problems in old pianos that will render them essentially unplayable even if they are not immediately obvious. If the pinblock is shot and won't hold a tuning, if the bridges are separating from the soundboard, if the action components are brittle to the point where they'll routinely fail or prevent adjustment, etc the problems will quickly begin to interfere with your ability to enjoy its unique character, and the cost to repair can quickly become untenable.

I think its worth repeating that most sellers are clueless as to the true condition or value of what they have. Many do not play, and assume that because sound comes out when most of the keys are pressed that it must be playable and just need a tuning. Some may just be used to its issues, and somewhat blind to them. Some may be intentionally deceptive. Unfortunately the range is so great that you can't put much stock in the seller description.

You also can't really just assume that because a piano is old and of a good name that you will like how it sounds even if its in playable condition. Reading the threads on here about people shopping for new pianos, its amazing how much variety of opinion there is. Some pianos just speak to some people and not others, and even in new pianos not all examples of a given piano are created equally. That effect is greatly amplified when dealing with old pianos, as on top of the new piano differences, they all age differently based on their environment, use, treatment, maintenance, etc.

There's really no substitute for just getting out there and trying a lot of pianos to find the one that's right for you. Its as true for new pianos as it is for old ones, the old ones at a bargain price are just trickier to find with a lot more variables to consider. But the end result can be amazingly rewarding

Rob

LOL!

I was today playing a late 1800`s Bechstein 6 footer (or so)freshly tuned. (sold his brother my old digital lol) It was very nice but also very LOUD! . . .How d`ya turn `em down? The lid was already shut . . . .!! I was playing ever so lightly . . .heck, I`m not made for these things . . .they scare me witless

Plowboy.

I must take issue with you ! Bell did not invent the telephone. Edison did not invent the lightbulb. Lucas electrics were no better or worse than any other manufacturer's.

[And English Electric made some very good aircraft - you even built some under licence].

Sorry to get off topic here, but I must defend myself. I've owned two Triumph motorcycles fitted with Lucas electrics, so you're not fooling me!

Lucas once tried to market a vacuum cleaner. It was the only thing they ever made that didn't suck.

And speaking of Triumph, they once tried to get into the computer business, but couldn't figure out how to get it to leak oil.

I used to put a pan under my Bonneville, and then in the morning pour it back into the oil tank. I'm not kidding. It was a great bike when it was running, though.

For you, I would suggest that you stick with those awful things which have a headphone jack and volume control. I sincerely doubt that you will ever "see the light."

+1

Gary,

Not sure how old your Triumphs were/are, but I have an 08 and it runs like a dream! Never any issues.

Jonathan

Jonathan, I assume you don't mean a 1908 Triumph? I'm talking old school Triumphs, not the new company. Both of mine were made in Meriden. The leaky Bonneville was a Norton-Villiers-Triumph product. Actually, the oil leak was the dealer's fault. However, it was a factory defect in the welds that caused the front fender to detach.

Do you know what happens to a motorcycle when the front wheel locks up?

My Trident was a Triumph product, and except for the Lucas electrics, was a great machine.

Gary, other than that little wheel lock up, how was your flight?

Oh, Marty!! How could ya! I was playing acoustics before you were born (a guess; I may be wrong heh heh) That`s all we had, I played an old upright in a Pentecastal Church years ago, miles outa tune. But the tape (remember them?) was extremely forgiving. I couldn`t tell. . . I`ve always loved pianos. But if I was designing one, it`d be different.

It`d be better. But some education may be necessary, otherwise nobody`d buy . . .!

GGordon Bennett, I always wanted either a Triumph (Tiger, never cared for the Bonnie) or a Norton. Dammit, had to settle for a BSA (bloody sore arse) and a sidecar bike at that. Compression ratio of 6:1. I loved it actually. Went up the side of a house in top gear . . .

Gary,

Of course a 2008. I did hear horror stories about older ones. Mine is an America. How did we go from pianos on ebay to Triumph motorcycles? My bad.

Jonathan

Short, very short. Fortunately, I had just left US 41, where I had been in, um, slight violation of the Indiana speed laws, and was on a side street, doing maybe 25 when the fender came off. That was plenty fast enough.

The Bonnie only weighed 295 pounds dry, and was very quick. I got all the Japanese bikes off the line, but it didn't take them long to blow by me. Those guys on the Kawi 650s thought they were hot stuff.




I can't believe we're talking about Lucas on a piano forum!

It`ll be beer next . . .

Not British beer, hopefully...

Our sceptred Isle is renowned for it`s beer, my friend, If nothing else these days. Why d`ya think loads of touroids come here? To see the Queen? Not a chance! To drink in the "Queen`s Arms", more like. And sample the fine fare on offer; beers from all over the country (it`s a growth industry; small breweries are springing up in old schools, garages, disused warehouses etc and are being recognised for their superlative qualities as a beverage and for their health giving digestion enhancing ingredients.

The Japanese are particularly appreciative of our unrivalled hospitallity and all that it entails.

And at the moment, the pound is down . ..Get yerself over!

Hehe, long may it continue.

Trouble is when you mix the beer with the eBay piano shopping....oops!