There has been a lot of change at Feurich lately which has led to some confusion. I will attempt to describe the current lay of the land, AS I UNDERSTAND IT. I have been very close to the main players over the past 2 1/2 years and I believe that I have a pretty clear […]
The piano world
The Myth of Artist Endorsements
It is common for piano manufacturers to tout a list of artists with whom they enjoy some sort of connection. Sometimes that connection is rather tenuous since that artist may have affiliations with more than one company and, frequently, they have been dead for a number of years. However, artist endorsements form a sort of […]
Lacey Act, Gibson and Pianos
The Gibson Company was raided twice by agents of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, once in 2009 and again in 2010, on suspicion that Gibson had acquired ebony and other rare woods illegally. The musical instruments industry press went crazy decrying the action (apparently some agents had drawn guns!) and the laws leading to […]
More Changes at Steinway
I presented on European pianos at a meeting of the NYC chapter of the Piano Technicians Guild recently. Before my presentation, the manager of retail service at Steinway Hall in New York gave a presentation on changes in his department. Essentially, Steinway Hall is eliminating its complete retail service department, passing on all retail service […]
Why Should You?
There are many things on which to spend money. Good old Mazlow spelled them out for us. A piano is an investment in oneself, in ones striving for culture, experience and to some gods grace. Grace can be, of course, in anything. However an expensive, craft build piano is a particularly unique example. If you […]
The Myth of Power
Often, when speaking to someone about pianos and piano tone, the topic of power comes up. Frequently whether or not a piano has sufficient “power” becomes a de facto determination of whether a piano is acceptable or not. In these situations, the real question is: acceptable for what? If a piano is going to be […]