Liability advice

[JIMRPT@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 9/04/1999 9:59:06 PM, bluefiddle@texoma.net writes:

<< "Last week I tuned a new customer`s Grand spinet 
piano............................ 
so I raised it to standard pitch .............................A week later my 
customer calls complaining of a terrible buzz throughout the piano, so back I 
go to investigate. I found every single last rib had pulled away from the 
soundboard on both ends.">>

Al;
 Firstly The instrument in question was a poor quality spinet to begin with 
and even when brand new this manufacturer's pianos exhibited this propensity 
of loose ribs.
 Secondly a 'normal pitch raise' is just that.... an absolutely 'normal' 
affair and in no way effects the structural integrity of an instrument that 
does not already have the problems inherently within.  If such were the case 
no tuner in their right mind would ever do a pitch raise.  Broken strings are 
not uncommon when doing a pitch raise but unglued ribs are a proposterous 
notion when it is even suggested that a pitch raise would cause the problem.

 Thirdly as for.....
<<"she has spoken with another tech.-qualifications unknown- who told her 
that before any pitch raise the customer should be warned of the irreparable 
structural damage that can occur during a pitch raise.">>

 This 'unnamed' tech is so full of balderdash that it does not even deserve a 
response.  Your customer, in my opinion, is trying to find someone to blame a 
bad purchase decision on rather than accept the fact that they made a bad 
decision and a poor purchase.

 Al, I agree with Don, the cost of the pitch raise and the tuning probably 
exceeded the value of this instrument.  Don't worry about it. You did nothing 
wrong and even though this instrument may have served someone once, at some 
level of usability, it has always been on the edge of credibility as a 
'piano'.
My opinion.
 Jim Bryant (FL)