>Your labor costs must be fairly high, no? While you may be saving >on materials aren't you actually spending more time doing this than >the three hours it would take to replace the set? >Dave, Actually, all things considered, the labor costs are roughly the same (or less if the piano is being repinned at the same time). Mention was made in a recent thread of bass strings made by GC Piano in Scarborough (Toronto) Ontario. Danny Vigneaux, the owner and string making guru charges us $5.25 (Canadian) each for these superior strings. On a 45 string set, including shipping, my cost is around $250.00. If I retail them at a 40% mark-up (I am not saying I do, for those of you south of the border who are worried about anti-trust violations) the customer's cost for the parts alone would be $350.00. Compare to a similar mark-up on the ultrasound procedure at a retail cost of about $100.00 I would say "been there, still doing that". By the way, I love the anecdote about freezing the strings! I am just in the process of digging out of a 42 cm (17 inch) snowfall accumulation after the weekend blizzard. Maybe I can make the best of this situation yet! Best regards, Stan Kroeker Registered Piano Technician Kroeker & Sons Piano Experts 59 Quiring Winnipeg, Manitoba R2G 1Y5 Ph. 204-669-5881
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