Liability advice

[David ilvedson]

I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't even another technician 
and if it goes that far demand his name.  A pitch raise is not 
going to cause ribs to come loose.  They were already loose.  
In future have a disclaimer ready before any work is done on a 
piano.  I always tell the customer it is unlikely but, a pitch 
raise can cause strings to break that are ready to break.  But I 
have never said it could cause ribs to come loose!  Hell we 
wouldn't do anything to pianos if they were that fragile.

David Ilvedson, RPT


From:           	"Al & Jody Williams" <bluefiddle@texoma.net>
To:             	<pianotech@ptg.org>
Subject:        	Liability advice
Date sent:      	Sat, 4 Sep 1999 21:08:32 -0500
Send reply to:  	pianotech@ptg.org

> I have been a RPT for the past 19 years. Last week I tuned a new customer`s Grand spinet piano. They had bought it from their church where it had been in storage for no one knew how long. I measured  pitch with my Sanderson and found A4 15 cents flat of pitch, the treble 25 cents flat, and high 
treble almost 1/2 step flat. Minimal rust on strings and pins reasonably tight, so I raised it to standard pitch , was paid, and left. 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. I had a good conversation  with the husband explaining that this condition  is one of the pit falls of buying a used instrument without having it inspected by a piano tech., and that normal maintenance such as a pitch raise and tuning did not cause the problem. 
Several d
> 


David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA
ilvey@jps.net