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I am considering the purchase of this most unusual piano. There are no local dealers, so I would enjoy a substantial savings buying direct. There are none near me (Long Island) to see, so I probably have to undertake a Road Trip.

Because there are none near me, there probably is a low likelihood of a local tech with experience.

I was wondering if any experienced techs have an opinion on how difficult it would be for a rpt with no Astin experience to tune/seervice this piano?

I am not a tech, but I also considered the piano. After talking with Mr. Weight, he told me that they use Langer actions, the same as Charles Walter and Steinway. So there should be no problem finding a tech who could prep the action to suit you.

Jolly,

what piano did you end up getting? I'm thinking of one of the following: Astin, CW or Petrof (all verticals).

Haven't pulled the trigger, yet. Still in the shakedown stage.

One thing that kept coming up about the AWs - they are well made, but people either love 'em or hate 'em. They tend to be loud. The people I talked to that loved them compared the sound to a big grand. The people I talked to that hated them said they couldn't get the softness they desired.

But nobody said they were a poorly built piano.

I visited the shop last year while on a business trip to SLC. Mr. Weight gave me a tour of his shop. I only had a few minutes to play one of the larger pianos and I recall that it seemed loud. I didn't have time to form an impression whether I liked this or not.

I was impressed by Mr. Weight's love of pianos. The pianos were truly hand built. He also was offering factory-direct pricing which was hard to beat.

Before buying one, I would suggest you find one locally (or fly to SLC) and see for yourself.

Seeing one is the BIG problem. There isn't anything around here. Don Weight told me on tele that someone owns one in DC, and would welcome visitors (very generous, but it's a bit of a haul).

Do these pianos have a soft pedal? The price is definitely right (40% off, no sales tax), but if they're so loud, late night playing when kiddies are sleeping may not be viable.

At one time, they did make a grand. When I visited the factory I was shown several wooden cases for grand pianos which were hanging on the wall. The paino was a symmetrical design (like the M&H "Butterfly" design from the '40s). It looked to be a 5'5" or 6' lenght. Mr. Weight said he had no plans to start up production again.

I also thought they made a grand, and was puzzled not to see it on their site. The site could use a little more material, that's for sure. BUT, they did make it quite easy when I called, and Don was great on the phone. He's sending me a bunch of things to look at, including color chips for the different finishes.

I called yesterday, and left a message. He's supposed to call back today, so when he does, I'll ask him.

It's going to be awfully hard to make a road trip, then if (when?) I want a last look before a final decision, I'm kinda up the creek.

It may come down to a Petrof or CW. The agony of it!

Actually, the best thing for me would to see one of these in Beantown. I asked Don Weight to check his records. My wife has never been there, and it would be a lot of fun.

Of course, a Road Trip, picking up people along the way would be a memorable time - we could rent a bus.

They did make a grand, and a very unusual looking one it was. However, I talked with Mr. Weight about getting one and he said they hadn't made any in a while. Occasionally I do a web search looking for a used one, to no avail. I have to be in SLC next October, and I'll look at some of their uprights there.