Accutuners

[Ron Torrella]

Hello all!

Perhaps it wasn't clear that I wasn't "dis"-ing Accutuners.  I haven't
had the opportunity to use one (I cannot afford one and since I don't
know how to use them, trying one out probably wouldn't yield a positive
experience since I'm sure they take some time to get used to) so my
questions were intended to be speculative and rhetorical.

I have long considered asking our school to purchase an AT as a means of
expediting practice room, classroom and some studio tunings.

That explanation/disclaimer out of the way:

On Tue, 13 Sep 1994, Dennis Johnson wrote:

> Anyway, it is worth clarifing that these
> testimonials by concert technicians who use the SAT are comparing their
> experiences both before and after they got the machine, as opposed to those
> aural tuners who have little or no experience with the SAT. If there is
> some skilled aural tuner who then invested the time to become fluent on the
> SAT, but eventually, for whatever reason, decided leave it and return to
> the old method, this would be an interesting story.

I'm sure there are one or two out there;  where are you?

> The issue of dissatisfied customers is a touchy subject.  We are
> afterall a group of skilled concert tuners who take pride in never having
> dissatisfied customers.  And considering how unlikely it is that I shall
> ever have a customer with higher tuning standards than my own, this is
> simply not a problem.

Indeed, dissatisfied customers are a touchy subject.  I will admit to
having a few without losing my sense of pride.  There's the saying,
"You can please some of the people *some* of the time but not all of the
people *all* of the time."  I think dissatisfaction doesn't necessarily
mean it's a case of a bad/incompetent technician.  Let's face it; a piano
that hasn't been tuned for 30 years--even after all of the requisite
pitch hoisting--isn't going to sound "marvy."  And then there's the
customer who's just *never* going to be satisfied--no technician's going
to be quite good enough.  I've had a few of them, and my reputation
hasn't been damaged.  <Looking around for the arrows to come flying in.>

> It is not fair to equate using the SAT with
> dissatisfied customers because in practically every case that would be a
> fault of the technician, either by misusing the machine or by failing to
> address a misunderstanding of the customer.

Actually, it may not be the fault of the technician in practically every
case.  I think there are customers who, not matter how well one explains/
rationalizes the use of the AT, will continue in their cynicism.  I
suspect that those who are not comfortable with a tech who uses an AT are
uncomfortable the way people tend to be uncomfortable about talking to
answering machines or doing every day business on a computer (making
reservations, etc.).  They're stuck on the "old-fashioned way."

   In our long-term effort
> toward educating the public about the proper use and possibilities of
> electronic tools,  I only ask that everyone, those who choose to use it or
> not to use it, for whatever reason, please not perpetuate false myths or
> misunderstandings about its use for your own short-term gain.

I *completely* agree!  I wouldn't think of denouncing the use of the AT
because I recognize that it has tremendous benefits.  My remark that I
have been called upon to tune in the stead of another technician who used
an AT was mostly illustrative of the fact that there are pianists and piano
owners who continue to sense a distinction between an AT-assisted tuning
and a non-AT-assisted tuning.  Although I've not seen it with my own
eyes, I'm sure there are technicians who advertise that they do not do
"electronic tunings" because there's a market for that kind of
technician.  By the same token, as Kent Swafford aptly pointed out, there
are probably an equal number of folks who prefer electronically assisted
tuners!


Happy tuning-with or without an Accutuner!

Ron Torrella
University of Illinois