In-Piano Records Revisited

[Susan Kline]

>>One reason to put the info there is piano owners seem to enjoy having
>>the history there.  Donnie

Hi, Donnie! Welcome aboard ...

Jon Page wrote:
>All my customers who happened to see this handwriting on their pianos
>were appalled to think that someone had the audacity to take this liberty.
>
>This is what paper is made for.  

I never write on pianos, but I find that many owners enjoy reading the old
marks from other tuners, especially if they go back several decades. I do
follow a few people whose messy scrawl in prominent places on grand plates
I don't appreciate.

>Maybe your mechanic should scribble the last oil change and tune up on your
>dashboard to remind you of the next tuning.

They put a little vinyl sheet with this information in the upper left hand
corner of the windshield. Easy to see, easy to remove.

>Scribing the insides of a piano should be limited to autographing a
hammer/s/f
>installation; pin block; sound board; etc. Mundane servicing does not merit
>this signature.

I don't routinely leave a record, unless someone else has fairly recently,
or the owner wishes for me to. Then on an upright I paste a business card
above the pinblock or inside the lid, or toward the top of the left side
(inside), with one dot of white glue on the back of each corner. (Easy to
pull off, and the glue can be removed with a damp rag.) On a grand I paste
a card the same way to the underside of the bench lid.

I leave a record if the owner is contemplating selling the piano, or if it
is going to change hands. I figure whoever gets in there next will want to
know how long it has been. 

I think it's really tacky to pull off other people's labels or scratch out
their names. Any time I need to worry that much about the competition, they
can keep the work ... I'll quit.

>Even placing reference marks on keys or hammers with chalk should be wiped
off
>once the item has been attended to.  

I do this. A barely damp washcloth works fine. 

>This is one of my pet peeves. 

There, there. I know just how you feel. All you need to do is say
"methanol" and watch me go into my act. (Is your peeve housebroken? What
does it like to eat?)

Regards,

Susan


Susan Kline
P.O. Box 1651
Philomath, OR 97370
skline@proaxis.com