Hi John, I like analogies too, but I haven't come across any I really like for the pitch raising thing, so I fall back on diversionary anthropomorphism instead. Justifying the pitch raise in the first place, with minimum glaze... "Raising the pitch this far will add over a TON of string tension to the piano (raise eyebrow(s), and pause for effect (oooh, aaah)) with the piano fighting me all the way (customer nods in recognition of the concept, having, herself, been fought) and the tuning I've already done changes as the tension is increased in different parts of the piano." (more nodding, the rules always change in mid-fight for her too, and the kids have tracked up the area of the rug where she started, before she gets to the other end of the room with the vacuum) "So I have to start at a higher pitch, so the piano will be just about at the correct pitch when I've finished with the pitch raise." Dreaming about pitching her kids by now, she nods and says go ahead, but you had better hurry and get done before the kids get home. For follow up tunings after pitch raises, I seem to get minimum glaze my just saying something like... "I've just added over a TON of string tension to this piano, and it's going to take it a while to get used to the idea. We ought to tune it again in (insert time frame of choice) after it settles down." "Then we can get on a regular (insert time frame) maintenance schedule." The "learning to drive in a car that won't run" analogy seems to work when they want to get a crappie shelter with a keyboard for little Quincy to learn to play, and they want YOU to try to tune it. I've also found the descriptive phrase "crappie shelter" to be of use in this situation. Hey, gimme a break, my father in-law used to tell them "If it was a horse, I'd shoot it!" Back to work. Ron N
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