The first thing to clear up in rebuilding is the illogical idea
that money should only be spent on an instrument as an 'investment'
to return a profit!

We don't regard money spent on repairing such things as televisions
or videos as an investment: it's just a running cost.  You have to be
prepared to spend something on your entertainment!  The fact that you
can get back much of the money spent on things such as player pianos
is surely a bonus.  Although greedy owners are only to be expected (and
avoided), the hobby itself must take some of the blame for encouraging
the investment culture.

 [ I believe that the "collectors galleries" (like IMI, AMG and G. W.
 [ McKinnon) fostered this desire.  The slick magazines they published
 [ were very effective sales tools which touted the "investment value"
 [ of automatic musical instruments.   -- Robbie

It is important to acknowledge that there are at least three identifia-
bly different and perfectly acceptable levels of work that can be done:

1)  Patch-up.  This gets the instrument going by replacing missing
hoses, pasting over major holes in bellows, that sort of thing.  The
work is not of lasting quality - but it must not hinder any future
work.  Cheap and cheerful, but we all know it won't last.

2)  Repair and regulation.  Here work is done to correct standards, but
only certain tasks are undertaken according to need and budget.
Repairs work after a fashion but unrepaired parts tend to fail when the
machine is used.  Cutting back on the initial work done can be a false
economy because previous repairs have to be redone to get at deeper
faults, so the total bill is higher.

3)  Restoration.  The instrument is returned to its original condition
throughout, using correct materials and techniques.  Unless the job is
fully done, it is not a restoration!  Pretty well all jobs billed as
restoration are actually repairs, albeit extensive ones.

The customer is not being cheated as long as the work is correctly
described and charged accordingly.  The reason that so many people can
be cheated is ignorance, because they have no idea what needs to be
done in the first place, and even afterwards cannot tell how well it
has been done -- or whether it has been done at all.  This suggests
that a positive thing for the MMD to do would be to assist potential
customers in understanding the options.

How about producing a checklist of restoration points together with a
page or so of supporting information to make its aims clear?  Put it on
the web site, and owners could use it to determine with their rebuilder
which tasks are to be done, and use it afterwards to confirm that the
work has indeed been done.

With all the experience available here, I am sure a general checklist
could easily be put together.

Julian Dyer

 [ A fine idea, Julian, let's work on it!
 [ Do the piano repair shops make a written contract with the customer?
 [ How do they determine that the repair work is satisfactory, and
 [ meets the requirements of the contract?  -- Robbie