Perceived Worth

[Carl Root]

Clyde Hollinger wrote:
> Consider this:  Suppose I take a clunker car to the mechanic.
> Everything is wrong with it except that it runs.  I want a tuneup and a
> muffler.  Will I be happy with the mechanic if he refuses to do anything
> because the car is shot and those two things will cost more than the car
> is worth?  Probably not. 

The car analogy is tricky.  If it runs, it has value.  

I taught my wife to drive on a '68 Volvo which had been hit on all four
corners, had a messed up transmission, and numerous other problems. 
Everyone gave her lots of room on the road. :-)  BUT, as you say, it was
shot.  We didn't put anything into it, and, sure enough, it died six
months later.

Pianos don't stop dead in the middle of the road.  The *level of
permance* is the issue that we deal with on a day to day basis.  One the
one hand, you are rarely permitted to put everything exactly right.  On
the other, if their expectations after putting $300 into the instrument
are greater than you can produce, or if the piano develops problems like
loose pins soon after the work was done,  you've made a bad decision.

I like to give them every opportunity to play on the best piano they can
possible afford.  Often as not, they knew in their hearts that the old
klunker that we were looking at wasn't going to produce the music they
wanted.

Carl