Re: [pianotech] Who makes the Van Urk of Holland pianos Yuck!

[Douglas Gregg]

I just came back from tuning a Van Urk studio upright donated to a
church. Very high polish and that is the the end of the good points. I
wonder if this is a soviet made stencil piano or low end Chinese
piano. I should say PSO or more correctly POS. This is the second one
I have worked on and it is worse than the first. About a dozen hammers
were interfering, Another dozen hit only 2 of three strings. I guess
they put in three strings to increase the odds of being hit. It had a
treble like breaking beer bottles. It looked fairly new but was more
than a full step flat with many loose pins. Two pins would not hold at
all. The plate was dark copper colored painted on with a brush over a
rough casting. The serial number looked like it was stenciled on with
a magic marker using a plastic ruler stencil like I used to have as a
kid. It had all the parts of a piano but that obviously isn't
enough.
Who makes these POSs???

Doug Gregg
Classic Piano Doc

[David Kroenlein]

I've tuned some with similar sounding names that were mfg in belarus or ukraine--russia

Sent from my iPhone

[Euphonious Thumpe]

And this is what people are buying, while fantastic old American pianos go to the dump by the truckful... Thumpe Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad

---

From: David Kroenlein <kro...@gmail.com>;
To: pian...@googlegroups.com <pian...@googlegroups.com>;
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Who makes the Van Urk of Holland pianos Yuck!
Sent: Tue, Jan 14, 2014 12:16:00 AM

[AMari...@aol.com]

sounds like a Bechner...made in the Netherlands.  Ghastly pso!

 

Arthur

[Joseph Garrett]

The Van Urk Brothers in Holland. (At least that's what the Atlas says.) With a name like Van Urk, it has to be good.<G> .....NOT! My sincere sympathy. Fortunately, none have made it to this area that I know of. Certainly sounds like an Iron Curtain Piano. Those, I've had the unfortunate "privilege" to tune. Lovely critters, (for firewood source perhaps.<G>
Best,
Joe

-----Original Message-----
>From: Douglas Gregg <class...@gmail.com>
>Sent: Jan 13, 2014 4:06 PM
>To: pian...@googlegroups.com
>Subject: Re: [pianotech] Who makes the Van Urk of Holland pianos Yuck!
>

>I just came back from tuning a Van Urk studio upright donated to a
>church. Very high polish and that is the the end of the good points. I
>wonder if this is a soviet made stencil piano or low end Chinese
>piano. I should say PSO or more correctly POS. This is the second one
>I have worked on and it is worse than the first. About a dozen hammers
>were interfering, Another dozen hit only 2 of three strings. I guess
>they put in three strings to increase the odds of being hit. It had a
>treble like breaking beer bottles. It looked fairly new but was more
>than a full step flat with many loose pins. Two pins would not hold at
>all. The plate was dark copper colored painted on with a brush over a
>rough casting. The serial number looked like it was stenciled on with
>a magic marker using a plastic ruler stencil like I used to have as a
>kid. It had all the parts of a piano but that obviously isn't
>enough.
>Who makes these POSs???
>
>Doug Gregg
>Classic Piano Doc

Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I
gpianoworks.com

[tnr...@aol.com]

I did some research and discovered that these piano, although owned by a Dutch company, are manufactures in the Ukraine. We've all experience other brands made in former Soviet countries, and it appears that these piano are made in similar fashion. A store in Holland, which sells Bosendorfer, Steingraber, Kawai, etc, won't even display them on their floor, but will special order one, if a customer is really interested.

 

Needless to say, I am not very proud that a name like that appears on such sloppy work.

 

Wim Blees   

-----Original Message-----
From: Douglas Gregg <class...@gmail.com>
To: pianotech <pian...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Mon, Jan 13, 2014 2:06 pm
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Who makes the Van Urk of Holland pianos Yuck!

[Joseph Garrett]

"...I am not very proud that a name like that appears on such sloppy work"! HUH?! A name like Van Urk? What the heck is that?! Sounds like Urckle for god sake!(Which is befitting of the quality of "work".<G>!)  Not seeing the wisdom of that one Wim.<G>

Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: tnr...@aol.com
Sent: Jan 13, 2014 7:41 PM
To: pian...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Who makes the Van Urk of Holland pianos Yuck!

Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I
gpianoworks.com

[tnr...@aol.com]

Joe

 

I'm Dutch. I thought you knew that.

 

Wim

[Joseph Garrett]

Wim,

Did not know that. Now I understand. <G> Me? I'm mostly Prussian. (you know those guys with the pointy helmets.<G>) More stubborn than the Germans.<G>

Best,

Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: tnr...@aol.com
Sent: Jan 13, 2014 8:32 PM
To: pian...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Who makes the Van Urk of Holland pianos Yuck!

Joe

I'm Dutch. I thought you knew that.

Wim







-----Original Message-----
From: Joseph Garrett
To: pianotech
Sent: Mon, Jan 13, 2014 6:13 pm
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Who makes the Van Urk of Holland pianos Yuck!

"...I am not very proud that a name like that appears on such sloppy work"! HUH?! A name like Van Urk? What the heck is that?! Sounds like Urckle for god sake!(Which is befitting of the quality of "work".!) Not seeing the wisdom of that one Wim.

[Douglas Gregg]

If I have anything to do with it, this Van Urk is going to the dump. I
gave them a 50% discount for the tuning and hammer alignment because
they were an organization for the disabled and I told them the piano
was not worth any more investment anyway. I really felt sorry for
them. I hope never to have to tune it again. I told them I would find
them another piano, an old American piano to replace it.

Wim, I spent two sebatical leaves in the Netherlands and was very
impressed with the workmanship on everything they made. I can't
believe they could sell one of these pianos in Holland.

Joe, As for firewood, there is way too much polyester on it. It would
just stink up the house as it does now (musically).

I have one other customer with a USSR piano that I spent about half a
day just screwing it back together. The action was literally falling
apart. No wonder the country collapsed.


Doug Gregg