March 2007

Letter from John Callahan

We are Callahan Piano – one of the few “Left Coast” Stanwood connections. 

It was great to have a small group of installers gather recently after the CA State PTG convention. All Stanwood folks have an open invitation to come and visit whenever you find yourselves in the Bay Area. 

We are a fair sized shop specializing in high-end restoration – 95% Steinway and Mason & Hamlin. We are pleased and proud to have four licensed installers working together under one roof – and complete an average of two PTD’s per month. We are a bit different in that we restore for clients only – we do not buy and sell.  Licensed Installers since 2001, we made the decision some time ago not to do an action job without PTD – and that certainly accounts for our busy shop and backlog. The more Stanwood actions we do – the more folks want it. When a potential client can visit the shop and play one, and sometimes two or three pianos, all with the same mind-blowing ease and evenness – the decision to have us do their action becomes easy.

Our success over the past few years has been the result of fairly intense marketing efforts to get local pianists and potential clients into the shop whenever we have a completed instrument. We have also found it very effective to host “send-off” parties on completion of a major restoration. The client invites friends and colleagues, and we supply wine and cheese, and the piano is the star of the evening. Lot’s of fun.  (And the biggest plus - it gets the shop cleaned up!).

 Thanks to David for all his work which has benefited so many technicians and pianists!

 Best regards to all,

 -John

 John Callahan

Callahan Piano Service

www.callahanpiano.com